Stepfather
by Leanne8582
Summary: WIP AU JoyceGiles romance. What happens when Buffy's "father figure" starts dating her Mom? How will Buffy & Giles deal with their changing relationship? Ensemble Cast
1. Band Candy

Title: Stepfather

Author: Leanne8582

Email: uopjedi@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Archive: fanfiction.net. If you want it, all you need to do is ask.

Summery: AU after Band Candy. Joyce Summers and Giles begin dating and eventually marry. How does this effect Giles' relationship with Buffy? With the rest of the Scoobies? How will things be different? How will they be the same? _Stepfather_ is a Buffy and Giles character study that features an ensemble (yes, everyone!) cast. It is betad by Amanda and Gryus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stepfather

Chapter 1: Band Candy

Setting: About one week after the events of "Band Candy"

"Mom! Mom!" Buffy called as she came into the house. She slammed the back door closed, dropped her backpack on the kitchen table, and headed towards the fridge for a snack. 

"Buffy," Joyce said as she came into the kitchen. "I hope you aren't this noisy when you come home from school every day. I would hate to think that's how I raised you."

"No, Mom," Buffy replied. "On the days when you're at the gallery, I bring Willow and Xander home with me and we eat junk food and watch pay-per-view movies while sitting entirely too close to the TV."

"Ha ha. I know that you- Wait! What are you doing?" Joyce said as she watched Buffy exit the fridge with a couple containers of leftover Chinese food.

"Eating."

Joyce sighed. "Buffy, you know I'm making dinner."

"Yeah," Buffy replied, "but I can't stay for it. Second Tuesday of the month, remember? I have to book it to the hospital and guard the blood delivery."

"Oh, I forgot." 

Buffy pulled a fork out of the drawer and started in on the almond chicken. Joyce winced and said, "Buffy! It's cold." 

"It's better that way," Buffy said with a shrug. 

"Teenagers! What about dinner?"

"Wrap it up. I'll have it when I get home. Oh! I almost forgot. Principal Snyder wants you to call him."

"About what?"

"You know, the usual. I'm an out-of-control, antisocial teen with no school spirit or respect for my elders."

Joyce got a sad look on her face and sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. "Buffy."

"Oh, Mom. It's not that bad. You know that Snyder is just a little man who gets his jollies from bullying high school students who can't stand up to him. Plus, my grades are really good right now. All Bs!"

"Still, I wish that you'd try a little harder to fit in."

"Mom, look at who I go to school with. Werewolves, hyena students, mad scientist types. I think you'd be glad that I don't succumb to the peer pressure." 

Buffy looked at her watch. "Oh shoot," she exclaimed, "Look at the time. Since I'm not allowed to drive-"

"Buffy..."

"-I'd better leave now if I'm going to get to the hospital on time." Buffy tossed the half-finished container of almond chicken back into the fridge and the fork into the sink. She gave Joyce a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then she rushed out the back door. "Bye," Buffy called over her shoulder on the way out. 

"Be careful," Joyce said to no one. 

__

Better get this over with, she thought. Joyce grabbed her address book and looked up the number. Then she sat down and called Principal Snyder. 

********************************

~Sunnydale High School~

Rupert Giles was in the library stacks when her heard someone enter. "Buffy...?" he called. "Willow...?"

"None of the above."

Giles sighed and came out from behind one of the shelves. "Principal Snyder. What can I do for you?"

"It's about that reprobate."

"Her name is Buffy."

"Yes. Well, I've just spoken to her mother on the phone and she is on her way here."

"Buffy?"

"No, her mother. For a conference. And I want you to be there."

"Be there...?"

"At the meeting. In my office. In ten minutes."

Giles started stammering. "Well, I don't see.... I mean, there is no reason for me to participate as what will be discussed is confidential, and it's none of my-"

Principal Snyder cut him off. "You are the- for lack of a better word- teacher the delinquent associates with the most. You will be able to give us some insight into her odd behavior."

"It simply won't do. I have too much work to accomplish and a limited amount of time in which-"

"You will attend this meeting. The law says that I have to educate Buffy Summers. Nowhere does it say that I have to employ you." Principal Snyder said, then he strode out of the library.

"Bloody twit." Giles said under his breath. He gathered up the books he had been collecting and climbed down the stairs. He arranged his books and dictionary on the desk with all of his notes. That way he could get back to work the minute the meeting was over. 

When Giles was finished arranging his books, he headed down the hall towards Principal Snyder's office. He couldn't put off this meeting any longer. He and Joyce hadn't been in the same room together since the incident with the band candy. _This is stupid,_ he thought. _We're both adults. We should be able to move beyond this._

Giles reached the school's main office and headed towards Principal Snyder's office. When he reached the door it was closed. Giles knocked gently on the wood door frame. 

"Enter," Giles heard Snyder call from inside. Giles opened the door. There were two chairs set up in front of Snyder's desk. The one on the right held Joyce Summers. Joyce turned to see who was at the door, but when she saw that it was Giles, she jumped out of her seat in nervousness. "Mr. Giles. Um... how nice to see you."

"Yes," Giles replied, though he was looking more at his feet than at Joyce. "It's good to... um... see you, Joy- Mrs. Summers." Giles continued to try to correct himself until he slunk into his chair.

Snyder looked at them both suspiciously. "Now that we all know each other, let's get this meeting over with." He turned to Joyce. "Your daughter persists in cutting class. I've done everything I can in a discipline sense. I believe the problem resides at home."

Giles interrupted, "Now see here..."

Principal Snyder held up a hand to silence him. "I would like to hear Mrs. Summers' explanation."

"Mr. Snyder, no matter what you say, you will not convince me that my daughter is a bad person. If all you planned to do in this meeting is badmouth Buffy, then you have wasted my time. Do you have anything constructive to say?"

"I'm warning you. If you do not rein in your daughter, she will end up in prison. I've seen it before." 

Joyce stood and picked up her purse. "I think I've heard all I need to. I'm leaving." Joyce turned and walked out the door.

Giles stood to follow her, but, just as he was leaving, he turned to Snyder and said, "I doubt very much that you have ever seen anyone like Buffy."

Giles raced down the hall to catch up with Joyce. Joyce had been moving fast. He found her as she was headed down the front steps of the school. He yelled out her name to get her attention.

************************

Joyce was headed to her car when she heard someone calling her name. She turned to see who it was and saw Rupert Giles hurrying towards her. 

"Joyce," he said when he caught his breath.

"Mr. Giles."

"No, please call me Rupert."

"Okay, Rupert. Did you want to talk to me about Buffy also? Something about her Slayer duties?"

"No. I wanted to talk to you about us. It seems foolish for us to avoid each other at every turn. We both care for Buffy and it is imperative that we are able to communicate about her well being. I think that we should stop acting like adolescents about this."

Joyce smiled. "You're absolutely right, Rupert. We've been idiots."

"Well I wouldn't go that far." Joyce laughed. Giles took a deep breath and continued. "I'm not sorry about what happened between us, Joyce. I- I'm probably totally out of line, um, what I mean to say... That is..."

"Rupert, what are you trying to say?"

"Well, I, um, have come to... care for you a great deal. I feel that you might... reciprocate, and I... I was thinking, if you're not indifferent, you might, perhaps-"

Joyce cut him off. "Rupert, I would love to go on a date with you." She thought for a moment. "Say, I have a perfectly adequate dinner sitting at home in the fridge. Buffy isn't going to eat it. How do you feel about meatloaf and scalloped potatoes?" 

Giles smiled. "I think it sounds lovely. Wait a moment. Buffy isn't eating? Where is she?"

"Second Tuesday of the month."

"Oh yes, right. How silly of me. The hospital. She won't want something when she gets home?"

"No, she'll probably stop somewhere on the way home. After slaying her tastes run more towards cheese burgers and chili fries. I don't know how she can eat so much of that junk."

"Slayers have a heightened metabolism. We should all be so lucky."

"So how about it?"

Giles took her arm. "Lead the way."

*************************

When Buffy returned home she was surprised to see that her Mom was still up. She usually went to bed at about 11. It was 11:30 and the kitchen light was still on. Buffy came in through the kitchen door and saw her mom and Giles sitting at the kitchen table with a half-finished bottle of Chardonnay between them. 

"Um, hey guys," Buffy said. "What's going on?"

Joyce looked up. "Oh, Buffy! Rupert just came over for dinner," Joyce said, gesturing at Giles. "Are you hungry? There's plenty left."

"No. I'm okay. I'm just going to go up to bed now."

Joyce smiled. "Okay, sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning."

"Oh, Buffy," Giles called. "Before you retire, how did everything go this evening?"

"Fine. Dusted two vamps. Third got away. Hospital got the blood."

"Well, that's excellent. Good work."

Buffy turned and headed up stairs. When she got to her room she could still hear her mom and Giles laughing in the kitchen. Buffy hopped on her bed and kicked off her shoes. Then she picked up her phone to call Willow.

********************

Willow Rosenberg was in her room doing her homework. The biology workbook wasn't difficult, just tedious. She really wished teachers would stop assigning repetitive busywork. 

Willow's thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing. _It's probably Xander, _she thought, _wanting me to explain photosynthesis for the **fourth **time._

"Hello?"

"Hey, Will. It's Buffy."

"Oh. Hi, Buffy. How's it going?"

"Fine. You sound a little surprised that it's me."

"Not really. It's just Xander's working on his biology homework and he's been calling me a lot. I'm like tutor-girl tonight. So, what do you need?"

"It's nothing. It's just that something gave me the wig tonight and I need you to tell me it's nothing."

"Okey-dokey."

"I came home from patrol and Giles was here and he and my mom looked like they were really friendly. Like 'date-friendly.'"

"Wow. Your mom and Giles? As a couple? Doing coupley, smoochie things?"

"Willow!"

"I'm sorry. It's probably nothing. Maybe they ran into each other at the grocery store or something and decided to hang out."

"Maybe. It's just that with that whole thing last week with Ethan Rayne and the candy and the second teenagehood... I just have a big case of the ewwws."

"Would it really be so bad if they were together like that?"

"Willow, don't even go there. Listen, I've got to get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," Willow said as she hung up the phone.

__

Hmm, she thought_. Mrs. Summers and Giles. Interesting._


	2. Revelations Part 1

Stepfather

Chapter 2: Revelations Part 1

Takes place one day after the events of "Revelations."

~~~~~*~~~~~

~Sunnydale High School Library~

"Right. Yes. I'm looking forward to it, too. Tonight. Eight o'clock. I'll be there. I can't wait. Goodbye." 

Rupert Giles hung up the phone in his office. He grinned a little. Tonight was to be his and Joyce's third "official" date. They were going to a quaint little bistro downtown. He was going to meet her there. Giles would have preferred to pick the lady up at her home; after the informality of their original romantic encounter, he had done everything by the book. But Buffy still didn't know about their new relationship, so picking Joyce up for their date at her house might have raised some embarrassing questions.

"What's going on tonight at eight?" said a muffled and slightly slurred voice from behind Giles. It startled him. He jumped from his chair and quickly turned around. There stood Buffy in the doorway of his office. She casually leaned against the door jamb. In her mouth there was a cherry Tootsie Roll pop. 

She straightened, leveled her eyes at him, removed the impeding candy and asked her question again. "What's happening tonight at eight?"

Giles busied himself cleaning his glasses. It was his favorite way of stalling for time. "Yes... Well... um, I have a meeting tonight. I'm meeting... someone."

Buffy's eyebrows raised a little. "Yes, Giles. I gathered that when you said you had a meeting. I assumed that it wasn't with an imaginary person," she said slowly, as if talking to a child. 

"No, no. Of course not," Giles stuttered. 

"Right. So, what's going on? Do I have to come?"

"No, certainly not. I'm just meeting with a book dealer. I heard that a previously unavailable text on demonology has just come into Sunnydale and I will be attempting to acquire it."

"That's it? That's what you're so giddy about? Another book?" Buffy walked out of Giles's office and the librarian followed close behind. She walked up to their 'usual' table and sat on top of it. "Jeez, Giles," she whined. "You _have_ to get out more. It's Friday night and your only plans involve a book that only you and like three other people on the Earth can read." 

"Buffy, if you're through ridiculing my social life..."

"Yeah, Giles, I've got it. MYOB. I'm just gonna meet Xander and Will at the cafeteria for lunch." Buffy headed out towards the library's exit. Just before she got to the door, she stopped and turned around. "Um, Giles?" she said.

"Yes, Buffy?" the librarian responded as he picked up a book from the table and started flipping through it. 

"The gang and I were going to Bronze it tonight. Do you mind if I skip patrol?"

"That's fine," Giles said without looking up from the book that now held his attention. Buffy narrowed her eyes as she looked at Giles one last time. Then she headed to the cafeteria to meet her friends.

~~~~~*~~~~~

"I'm telling you guys, something is going on with Giles," Buffy said as she sat at the table surrounded with Xander, Willow, Oz, Cordelia. They were eating (or not eating, as the case may be) their respective lunches.

"Buff, come on. I'm sure it's nothing," said Xander. "After all, it's Giles. What on earth could _he_ be up to?"

"Raising icky demons that possess people," she replied.

"Nah," Xander said, shaking his head. "It's so been there, done that."

"Buffy," Willow said, "what makes you so sure that anything is going on?"

"There's just something about his mood. Plus, I told him I wanted to skip patrol tonight to party at the Bronze and he said it was _fine_. No grief, no lecture. He didn't even mention the words 'sacred duty.'"

"Wow."

"I know. For a minute I thought he had been body snatched."

Cordelia looked up from her salad and added, "I don't know why you people are so worried. Giles is spending his Friday night buying a book. So what? He's not exactly Mr. Life-of-the-Party. He probably spends _every_ Friday in that library. Just because Giles chooses to be antisocial, why is it our problem?"

Buffy sighed. "It's not _our _problem, Cordy. It's not even _a_ problem. I just don't think that I can go out tonight and kick it worry-free with this rattling around in my brain."

Willow looked at Buffy apprehensively. "So, what? Are you going to follow him or something?"

Buffy looked up excited. "That's a great idea, Willow!"

"No, no!" Willow said backpedaling. "Not my idea! Your idea. It was your idea. I just vocalized it."

Buffy smiled. "It was a great idea, Will."

Oz smiled and put his arm around his girlfriend. "Top notch," he agreed. 

"I can do this by myself," Buffy continued, "but you guys are welcome to come if you'd like."

"Oh yeah. That sounds like fun," said Cordelia snidely. "Skulking around down by the docks or in some abandoned warehouse. Getting all dirty and gross just so we can watch the most boring retail transaction in history. I lo-"

"We'll be there," Xander interrupted. Then he looked around and realized that the new squad of Scoobies was missing a member. "Hey, Buffy. Do you think we should invite Faith?"

Buffy thought about that for a minute then replied, "No. It's not demon business, I don't think. So it's not a Slayer thing. It's just a we're-Giles'-friends-and-worried-about-him thing. Besides, after that whole thing with Mrs. Post, I think she just wants to lay low for a while."

Buffy thought a bit about how this was going to play, then said, "Giles said that he would be meeting whoever at eight. There is nowhere to go in Sunnydale that takes more than a half an hour to get to, so Giles would leave his house until 7:30. But he's the poster boy for punctuality, so we'd better meet outside at my house at 7:00. We'll go to Giles' from there. Giles will be driving... Cordelia, can we take your car?"

The brunette looked around and answered, "It will be a tight squeeze with the five of us."

"Oz's van has plenty of room," Willow said. 

Buffy nodded. "Oz, can we take your van?"

"That's what it's here for," the werewolf replied, very laid back.

"Great," said Buffy. "We all know the plan then. My house, seven o'clock, wear dark colors."

~~~~*~~~~

~Summers Residence~

Joyce was putting the finishing touches on her make-up when she looked up from the vanity mirror to find her daughter watching her.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

Joyce smiled. "What do you mean, Buffy?"

"You look... nice?" Buffy said, confusion evident in her voice. And Joyce did look nice, Buffy noticed. Her mom was wearing a new outfit, a robin's egg blue dress; the lines were clean and it was very tailored. The empire waist flattered Joyce's figure. Her mother was also wearing her nicest gold jewelry. All of this, with the make-up and hair, could only mean one thing. 

"Mom? Are you going on a _date_?" Buffy asked, her voice filled with a strange combination of wonder and horror.

Joyce's smile got even bigger. "Why yes, I am." 

Buffy was aghast. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"I didn't think you needed to know."

"Mom! This is something I needed to know! This affects me, too." Buffy thought for a minute and then said, "It's not another robot, is it?"

"No!" Joyce cried. "Believe me, Buffy. This one is a flesh and blood man." As Joyce said this, she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. 

"Bad mental image!" Buffy cried. She sat down on the edge of Joyce's bed. "So when do I get to meet him?"

"I see you're going slaying tonight," said Joyce, attempting to change the subject. 

Buffy looked down at her own outfit of blue jeans, a black tank top, and black tennis shoes. "Um, yeah. Slaying. And Bronze."

"Well, be careful," Joyce said as she left the bedroom. She hurried downstairs and grabbed her purse as she headed out the front door.

"Wait! Mom! Aren't you even going to tell me who your date is?" Buffy called out as she hurried to catch up with her mother.

Joyce waved as she got into her car. "Remember," she called, "be home by one." Then Joyce backed her car out of the driveway and took off down Revello Drive.

__

Well, that was weird, thought Buffy. Then she looked at her watch. _Shoot! Six-fifty. The gang will be here any minute."_

~~~~*~~~~ 

~Outside of Giles's Apartment~

~Later that night~

The Scooby gang waited in Oz's van with Oz driving, Buffy sitting shotgun, and everyone else piled in the back. Finally, they knew their wait was over when they saw Giles exit his apartment. He was carrying a wool overcoat on his arm, a small canvas bag and... a bouquet of flowers?

"The hell...?" Buffy said, very puzzled. 

Xander leaned over Buffy shoulder for a better look and asked, "What do you think is in that bag, Buff?"

"Um," Buffy replied, a little distracted, "that's one of his weapons bags. Probably a few stakes, a cross, holy water, and maybe a knife. The thing I don't get is the flowers."

Willow squirmed on the edge of her seat. "Maybe he's going to takes those to Miss Calendar's grave," she said. "He, um, he still visits her sometimes, and he would need to be armed in a cemetery at night."

Buffy shook her head. "No. Something doesn't feel right. Giles wouldn't go to a cemetery at night, just to remember Miss Calendar. It's too dangerous. There is no reason he couldn't go during the day. No. He wouldn't go there now unless he was spoiling for a fight." Buffy thought for a minute and then comprehension dawned on her face, quickly followed by alarm. "Oh my gosh. I think I know where Giles is going. I think he's going after Angel!"

Willow looked doubtful. "Are you sure, Buffy? I mean, yeah, he was angry that you didn't tell him about Angel coming back, but do you think he'd just go over there and get like all vigilante justice?"

"He did it before," Buffy said a little petulantly. "Don't you see guys?" she said, waving her arms around. "This explains everything. Why he was lying to me, the weapons-"

"Yes," interrupted Xander. "And he has the flowers because he thinks Angel's place needs a little sprucing up? That doesn't make any sense."

"I don't- Look! He's getting in his car. We'll just follow him to wherever he's going and then we'll find out who's right."

"I don't know," said Willow. "I don't feel right about spying on Giles like this." The rest of the gang nodded in agreement.

Buffy shook her head. "No. Giles might be planning to kill Angel. Stopping him is our first priority. After that, we can discuss the dos and don'ts of spying on our friends. After all, Xander didn't have any problems with spying on me."

Xander pointed a finger at Buffy as he defended himself. "It was a good thing I followed you. How long would it have been, Buffy? How long before you told us Angel was back?"

"You'll never know, Xander. You didn't give me the chance to tell you." Unshed tears glistened in Buffy's eyes. "You just found out, then you ran and told everybody!"

"Hey!" shouted Willow. "You two need to calm down. If you guys want, when we're finished, you two can scream and yell and beat each other senseless. I know I'm tired of trying to referee you guys, and I'm pretty sure Oz is, too. We are here because of Giles, and in case you haven't noticed, he's left! Now you two are going to be quiet and play nice, Oz is going to start the van, and we are going to catch up with Giles. When we see where he's going, then we can decide what do next."

All of the passengers in the van looked at Willow with stunned expressions. "What?" she said. "I can be authoritative, too. I'm just full of unexpressed feelings."

Oz started up the van, and they drove off down the road in silence.

~~~~~*~~~~~

When the gang finally found Giles's cark, they were, to say the least, surprised. "Why are we downtown?" said Cordelia, voicing everyone's unspoken question.

"I... don't know," Buffy said, the confusion evident in her voice. This was not a place Giles usually met contacts. The small tree-lined street was full of stores that sold overpriced curios and coffee shops that boasted freshly baked biscotti, not abandoned warehouses and dark back alleys. Giles' car was parked in front of a small, expensive-looking restaurant.

Willow was the first to voice an opinion. "Whatever Giles is doing here, it isn't any of our business. We should just go home."

The rest of the gang's curiosity had been piqued, however. "Come on Will," said Xander. "We've come all this way. We might as well take a look."

The gang got out of the van quietly. The walked up to the restaurant's large picture window. The saw Giles sitting at a small, candlelit table. 

"Great," said Cordelia. "We've gone to all this trouble just to watch Giles eat dinner."

Buffy held up a hand to silence Cordy. "Wait."

A minute passed, then a tall woman exited the ladies' room and sat down across from Giles. The woman was wearing robin's egg blue. 

"Giles is on a date?" Cordelia said, looking surprised. "Giles knows a woman?"

Suddenly, the woman Giles was with turned to face the approaching waiter, and for the first time the Scoobies could see her face. In unison, five pairs of eyes became larger. "Buffy, is that..." started Xander. 

"It's... my mom?!" said Buffy disbelievingly.

For once, nobody had anything to say....

To be continued- 


	3. Revelations Part 2

Stepfather

Chapter 3: Revelations Part 2

Takes place immediately after the last chapter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's... my mom?!" said Buffy disbelievingly.

The gang shifted back and forth on their feet, studied the fliers hanging on the outside wall of the restaurant, and checked the time on their watches. Anything to avoid looking at the horrified Slayer or the spectacle inside the restaurant. Not that Giles and Joyce were making much of a scene. To anyone else, they appeared to be a perfectly polite, respectable, middle-aged couple out for an evening on the town. Dinner and a show, perhaps? Only the quintet of teenagers loitering outside the restaurant knew better. This was not any couple. This was horrible. This was unimaginable. This was Giles and Buffy's mom on a DATE!

As usual, Cordelia was the one to break the silence. "Buffy, I didn't know that your mom and Giles are a couple." 

Buffy's head whipped around so quickly that not even radar could have clocked it. "They are _not_ a 'couple'!" Buffy replied through slightly clenched teeth. 

"I don't know, Buff," said Xander, standing up for his girlfriend. "They look kinda coupley to me."

"They're not coupley. They're just friendly. Very friendly. Always making new friends. That's my mom," Buffy said with the smallest amount of panic in her voice. 

Willow smiled a little and then she walked over to Buffy and wrapped her arm around the blonde girl's shoulder. "Hey," said Willow. "What do you say we go and do something fun? We could go by the Bronze. Or if you're not in a crowded-clubby mood, we could make it a Blockbuster night with a couple of pints of Ben & Jerry's."

Buffy smiled at the red-haired girl gratefully. "Thanks, Will. I think I just want to go home." Buffy looked up at her friends. "Look, you guys go ahead. Have fun." Buffy's friends just looked at her questioningly. "I'm serious. Go. Dance. Be young."

"Buffy...." Xander began. 

"I'll be fine. Just go."

"Need a ride?" offered Oz in his typically succinct style.

Buffy shook her head at the offer. "No thanks. I'm going to do mini-patrol on the way. Who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky and find something to kill."

"That's the spirit!" yelled an overly enthusiastic Xander. Cordelia just rolled her eyes at his lame attempt at humor. 

The gang, minus Buffy, climbed back into the van. This time, Willow took shotgun. Buffy gave her friends one last look, then turned around and headed for home. She briefly considered going to see Angel, but then thought better of it. He would just want her to talk about what was bothering her, and Buffy wasn't in a talking mood. 

Buffy's brisk walking pace soon turned into a run. _So what if I'm running,_ she thought. _Nothing wrong with going for a run every once in a while. Nothing at all...._

***********

Buffy decided to patrol only one place that night: Brookside Cemetery. It was about two blocks from her house. Even when Buffy was tired or feeling kind of out of it, she always made sure to take a walk through Brookside. It was small; that helped. No impressive mausoleums or ancient relics, so not much chance of meeting up with a really-big bad. But the main reason she always did a sweep of Brookside was its proximity to her house. Buffy felt two blocks was not a large enough distance between her mom and a vamp breeding ground. Her routine seemed to work. It quickly got around town that the place in Sunnydale you were most likely to meet the Slayer was Brookside. She hadn't seen a vamp there in more than a month. 

Of course, like all other societies, the Underworld of Sunnydale had members of the sane and the not so sane variety. Good, old-fashioned, you-don't-bother-me-and-I-don't-bother-you vampires never came to _her _cemetery anymore. Of course, that meant if there was a vamp in Brookside, it would be of the crazy, suicidal variety, looking to pick a fight with the Slayer. Just like the one that was standing in front of her now.

Buffy looked the vamp up and down as she took in his totally non-scary countenance. The vamp appeared to be about 19 years old. He was wearing acid washed jeans and an green, day-glow shirt, hinting that his burial occurred sometime during the 80's. "Slayer, I have come for you," he said. He bared his fangs at Buffy in an attempt to be menacing.

Buffy reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a black scrunchee. As she was putting her hair up into a ponytail she said, "Are you sure it's me you're after?"

"You will kn- huh?"

"You're not looking for Faith?"

"Who?" said the confused vamp.

"Faith. You know, new Slayer in town. Brown hair, a bit taller than me, dresses kind of scary. Not that it matters much. Regardless of which one of us you get, your still going to end up the same amount of dead. It's just that you seem to have put a lot of thought and planning into this moment and I just wanted to make sure that you're getting staked by the right girl."

The vamp growled and rushed Buffy with his arms outstretched, trying to grab her. Buffy held her ground until the last possible moment, then she ducked under the vamp's arms and did a forward roll to her left. The vamp flew passed her and crashed into a small statue of an angel, his head cracking the stone base a bit. He slumped to the ground, stunned. Then he started struggling to stand. 

Buffy came out of the roll. Her feet touched the ground softly and she used them to counter her current momentum as she came to a stop. As Buffy stood and turned to face the vamp, she withdrew the stake that was tucked into the waistband of her jeans. The vamp got up from the ground and shook his head in an attempt to rid himself off the last of the effects of the blow to his head. 

Holding the stake firmly in her right hand, Buffy strode confidently towards the vamp. When she reached her target, the vamp aimed a right cross towards Buffy's jaw. She expertly blocked the blow with her left arm and drove the stake home with her right. The vamp had just enough time to look down at the wooden object embedded in his chest, then up at the Slayer, his eyes wide with surprise, before he exploded into a cloud of vile dust. 

Buffy shook her head at the ease of the dusting. "You know," she said to no one in particular, "you'd think if a vamp is going to go to all the trouble to seek the Slayer out, he'd have a few tricks up his sleeve. Like a magic amulet, or a force field, or a half a dozen demon buddies or something. Nope. Apparently, all you need to be a vamp nowadays is a massive ego and a complete lack of a self-preservation instinct." 

Buffy sighed. She brushed her hands over her outfit, trying to rid herself of the last traces of the vamp. Vampire dust had an amazing ability to linger and cling, especially to black. Buffy walked over and picked the stake up off the ground. She tucked the unassuming weapon back into her pants and started off on the short walk home. 

**************

Joyce and Giles were laughing as they walked into the darkened living room. "Are you sure Buffy isn't home?" Giles asked as he wrapped arm around Joyce's waist.

"No, no. She's at the Bronze with her friends. She won't be home for hours," Joyce said as she flipped on a light.

As the couple's eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness they heard a familiar voice coming from the living room sofa. "Actually, I've _been_ home for hours. The question is: where have you been?"

Joyce jumped a little at her daughter's words. "Buffy! You startled me." Joyce placed a hand on her chest to help calm her breathing. "You're home early." Joyce suddenly seemed to remember the man at her side. "Ru- Mr. Giles and I..... We ran into eacho-"

"Don't bother, Mom," Buffy said, cutting her off. "I saw the two of you out together."

"You were _spying _on me?" Joyce asked, her voice sounding angry and hurt.

Aggressively, Buffy stood from her seat on the sofa and took a step towards her mother. "And when were you going to tell me about this? Were you-"

"I think," Giles said cutting Buffy off. "That we all need to sit down and discuss this rationally." Giles turned to his date. "Joyce, do you have any tea?"

Joyce had to think about this for a moment. "Yes, I think we do."

"Would you mind brewing us a pot? Buffy and I will wait here until you return."

Joyce threw him a questioning look but headed towards the kitchen. Giles took a seat in one of the chairs that faced the sofa. He then motioned for Buffy to do the same. Buffy ignored him and sat down hard on the sofa. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. 

The minutes passed as the two of them sat in silence. The only sounds disturbing the calm were those of Joyce puttering around in the kitchen. 

Finally, after several long minutes, Joyce returned from the kitchen. She held a tray with three tea cups full of steaming water, a random assortment of tea bags, a small serving bowl of sugar, a half empty, bear-shaped container of honey, and a plate with several cookies on it. Joyce nervously set the tray down on the coffee table. 

"I hope this is all right. I'm sure this isn't what you're used to, being from England and all. I didn't have enough tea to brew a pot. Besides, everything I do have is a different flavor. I haven't forgotten anything, have I?" 

Giles smiled at her while motioning for her to sit in the chair next to his. "No. It looks lovely."

Joyce sat down awkwardly. "I wasn't sure..."

Buffy took inventory of the items on the tray in front of her. She said softly, "Giles takes his tea with milk."

Joyce immediately stood. "I should have known. I'll go get some." Giles reached out for her wrist and held it lightly, restraining her.

"What you have is perfect," he said. He threw a pointed glance at Buffy as he repeated, "Perfect." 

"Oh. Okay," Joyce said as she sat back down in the chair. She crossed her legs at her ankles and placed her neatly folded hands on her lap. Buffy recognized the defense mechanism. Whenever Joyce was nervous or unsure, her posture and demeanor became very polite and proper. Buffy almost laughed remembering her mom trying to make civilized conversation in this very room with Spike.

"What's so funny?" Joyce asked when she saw the smile on her daughter's lips.

Buffy shook her head. The sound of her mother's voice had chased away the stray memory. "Nothing."

Joyce took a deep breath. "Okay, young lady. I think I deserve an honest answer to this question: why were you following me?"

"I wasn't following you."

Giles leaned forward as sudden comprehension flooded his expression. "You weren't, were you? You were following _me_. Why?"

Buffy decided to let it all out. She was tired of lying and being lied to. "I was following you because you lied to me. I could tell something was off when you told me what you were doing tonight. Then, when we got to your house-"

"We?"

"Me, Willow, Xander, Oz and Cordy."

"Oh, of course," Giles said sarcastically.

"When were got to your house, I saw the weapons bag-"

"Weapons!" This time it was Joyce cutting in.

"When I saw the bag," Buffy continued, "I thought that you were still upset. About what we talked about. I thought....." Buffy trailed off, unable to finish the accusation. There was no need. Giles knew what she meant. 

"You thought I'd go after Angel."

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Buffy, that's not fair."

"No, but it's true."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Joyce said. Buffy and Giles fell silent. "Everyone hold on a minute. Where were these weapons?"

"On the floor of the back seat of the car,"

Buffy said, answering her mother's question. "And about that- who brings that kind of arsenal on a date? What'd you have in there? A few stakes, a cross, some holy water?"

Giles tilted his head, remembering. "One stake, plus one on my person. No holy water, but I did have a crucifix and a crossbow." Giles loosened his tie and undid the top button on his shirt. He reached into his collar and pulled out a simple silver cross on a chain. "And this." 

"Why?" asked Buffy.

Joyce turned to her date. "Yes, I'd like to know that, too."

Giles shrugged. "We live on the Hellmouth. And unlike the majority of the populace, I know that. For heaven's sake. I'm usually more heavily armed than this when I go to the grocery store. Not all of us have Slayer strength."

"Oh," said Buffy, looking contrite. "Okay, then." 

"Not 'okay,'" contradicted Giles. "I can't believe that you have so little faith in me. Yes, I'm upset that you didn't tell us that Angel was back, but after his help with the glove..." Giles fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and began cleaning his glasses. He put his them back on and looked into Buffy's eyes. "I would never do anything to hurt you. You do know that, yes?"

Buffy nodded and looked down at her hands. Then she looked back up at Giles and her mother. "Why didn't you guys tell me that you were a couple?"

Giles and Joyce looked at each other in surprise. "Well, we're not...." Giles began.

"We haven't really discussed....." continued Joyce, a little unsure.

"It's not that..."

"I never assumed that...."

"I enjoy your company and I wouldn't be opposed....."

"Yes. I mean, if you want to......"

"I want to," said Giles, taking Joyce's hands in his own.

"You do?" said Joyce hopefully. Giles nodded. "I do, too." said Joyce with a smile. The two of them leaned into each other. Closer, until.....

"Gross!! Don't do that while I'm sitting here. You guys are going to scar me for life. You know that, don't you?"

Giles and Joyce both jumped when they were reminded of Buffy's presence. "It seems-," Giles began. 

"Yeah, yeah. I know," said Buffy. "You two are steadys. It's very cute. Listen, I'm going upstairs to take a long shower and scrub away the memory of this evening. I'll see you guys later." Buffy stood and started up the stairs, then stopped and turned around to face the couple in the living room. "As much as this squiggs me out, I'm glad you guys are happy. But I'd be even happier if Giles would go home right now, so I don't have to hear anything."

Giles smiled a tight grin. "I'll be on my way shortly."

"Good." Buffy, once more, started up towards her room. This time it was Giles's voice that stopped her. 

"Did you patrol tonight?"

"Yeah. Quick sweep of Brookside. One vamp. Dusted fast. No big."

"Good, good."

"Buffy," said Joyce, "you're being careful, right?"

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, Mom. I'm being careful."

"Goodnight," called Joyce.

"Good night," said Buffy. "To the both of you."

Buffy went straight to her room and grabbed her bathrobe. As she walked to the bathroom, she could hear her mother wish Giles good night. 

Buffy shook her head. _I can't wait to call Will tomorrow. She is not going to believe this._

To be continued....


	4. Amends

Author's note: I know I skipped "Lover's Walk" and "The Wish." Assume everything that happened in those episodes stayed the same.

Disclaimer: Buffy really, really doesn't belong to me. For this chapter, I will be using events and dialogue taken directly from the episode Amends, written by Joss Whedon. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made from this story. 

Chapter 4: Amends

Takes place during the episode Amends

(Author's Note 2: If you have not seen "Amends" you **will** be incredibly confused. For this chapter, I'm rewriting a few scenes from that episode and adding to others. Assume everything else happened just like the canon.)

~Sunnydale High School~

Buffy, Willow, and Xander were walking down the hallway towards Buffy's locker. Buffy's mind was still on her previous encounter with Angel. She was telling them about it before class, and now she was finishing the story. "And then he just bailed. He didn't say anything. He just took off. It was so weird."

As Buffy and Willow opened their respective lockers, Xander made his opinion known. "Angel? Weird? What are the odds?"

Buffy glared at Xander as Willow asked, "Do you think something's wrong? Maybe you should tell Giles."

Buffy opened her locker and looked around as she answered Willow. "No. I don't wanna bug Giles. He's still kinda twitchy when it comes to the subject of Angel."

"Well, it must be that whole Angel-killed-his-girlfriend-and-tortured-him thing. Hey, Giles is pretty petty when it comes to stuff like that," Xander said snottily. 

Buffy rolled her eyes and took her lunch out of her locker. "Xander, enough, okay? It wasn't Angel who did all of those things. It was Angelus. Besides, it's not like Giles hasn't rebounded or anything. He's dating my mom now, so he must be a little recovered." Buffy slammed her locker shut. 

Willow zipped up her book bag and closed her locker as well. "Maybe Angel just has the holiday blues. Everybody gets 'em. Especially when they're alone."

As Buffy, Willow and Xander start back down the hall, Buffy continues to vent her feelings about Angel. "It's just so frustrating. I'm trying to do the right thing and stay away from him and get over it, and then boom, there he is. I just want a nice, quiet Christmas vacation."

The gang comes out of the hallway and into one of the Sunnydale High School student lounges. "So, you doing anything special?" asks Xander. 

Buffy shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Tree. Nog. Roast beast. Just me and Mom and Giles."

Willow looked at Buffy. "Wow. Giles is spending a family holiday with your family. Things are getting serious. What do you think about that?" 

Buffy shrugged again and replied, "I'm just hoping that twice the parental units means twice the gifts. Never can have too many gifts. What are you doing for Christmas?"

"Being Jewish. Remember, people? Not everybody worships Santa," Willow answered. 

Buffy smiled. "I just meant for vacation." 

The red-head sighed. "Mm. Nothing fun." The gang walked to the couches to sit down. "Oz and I had planned... but I guess that's off." 

Xander noticed that Cordelia was already sitting on one of the couches. He tried to non-verbally communicate to Willow that they should sit elsewhere, but she wasn't paying attention. Buffy and Willow took their seats on the couch opposite of Cordelia. Xander reluctantly joined them. In an effort to conceal his discomfort about being a mere two feet away from his ex, Xander started talking about his plans for the break. "Well, I'll be enjoying my annual Christmas Eve camp-out. See, I take my sleeping bag outside and I go to sleep on the grass." 

Willow, realizing what Xander is trying to do, says, "Sounds fun."

Xander nods "Yeah, I like to look at the stars, you know? Feel the whole nature vibe." 

Cordelia stood to leave, but couldn't resist one last parting shot at Xander. She smiled smugly and said, "I thought you slept outside to avoid your family's drunken Christmas fights." 

Xander glared at the socialite and said, "Yes. And that was a confidence I was hoping you would share with everyone." 

Cordelia ignored Xander and said, "Well, I'll be in Aspen. Skiing. With actual snow." 

Buffy, sensing Xander's distress, cattily replied, "I hear that helps." 

"It must be a drag to be stuck here in Sweatydale, but I'm thinking of you. Okay, I'm done," Cordelia said. She waved her hand dismissively at the trio and left. 

"She certainly has reverted to form," observed Buffy. 

Willow, still feeling guilty over her and Xander's "slip" defended Cordelia's actions. "It's not her fault. Mm, after what happened, we gotta cut her some slack." 

"That's the Christmas spirit," said Xander. 

"Hello, still Jewish. Chanukah spirit, I believe that was? Anyway, forgiveness is pretty much a big theme with me this year, 'cause of the..." Willow's suddenly stops when she sees Oz walking towards them. Oz stops and stands right next to Willow. 

For a moment no one says anything. Xander and Oz have an uncomfortable couple of seconds of eye contact. Willow is looks at Oz hopefully. Finally, the taciturn young man decides to say something. "Hey." 

Willow smiles a little and says, "Hey."

****************

~Downtown Sunnydale- later that day~

Buffy wiped her hand across her brow. There was no denying it. it was _hot._ And what was she doing? Shopping for Christmas trees with her mom. Buffy shook her head as she walked past a man spraying fake snow on one of the trees. _Dream all you want, buddy, _Buffy thought. _No matter how many trees you cover with that white junk, it's still going to be in the high 90's._

Apparently, Joyce had noticed the man too. She turned to her daughter and asked, "Do you wanna get one with snow on it? Be very Christmasy." 

Buffy rolled her eyes at her mother. "I think those are just for display." 

"Oh," said Joyce, a little hurt at her daughter's tone. "You know, honey, I was thinking. Maybe we should invite Faith to spend Christmas Eve with us." 

"I don't know. Faith and I don't really hang out. Or talk or make eye contact lately. Besides, with Giles coming over and all, don't you think the house will be a little crowded?" 

"I think that our house is spacious enough to fit four people. Do you really wanna let her spend Christmas Eve all by herself in that dingy little motel room?" 

Buffy smiled. "You're still number one with a guilt trip, Mom." 

"I try. I know I didn't ask before, but you're okay with Rupert spending Christmas Eve with us, aren't you?" 

Buffy shrugged. "I guess. I mean it's not like he has any family or anything." Joyce nodded. "And it's just dinner. He's not moving in. I guess I'm fine with it."

"Buffy, I don't want to force Rupert on you..."

Joyce was cut off by a laugh from Buffy. "Mom! I knew Giles before you did. Since moving to Sunnydale, I think I've spent more time with Giles than you. Forcing isn't a good verb here."

Joyce wrapped an arm around Buffy's shoulder as they continued to walk down row after row of evergreens. "I know, but this is different. I know that in the past, you've taken great lengths to keep school and slaying apart from home."

"And now those two world have collided with the force of an atomic blast."

"Buffy..."

"I'm sorry. And no, I don't mind that Giles is coming over for Christmas Eve."

"Good."

"Although, I have to warn you, if he starts talking shop, I may half to toss him out on his British behind."

"If it comes to that I'll help you," Joyce said with a grin. "So, you'll be giving Faith a call?"

"Yes," said Buffy sounding frustrated. "I'll stop by. See if she wants to make an appearance."

"Thank you," said Joyce. She stopped and looked at Buffy. "Did I ever tell you that you're a really great daughter?"

Buffy smiled. "Once or twice, but it bears repeating." Buffy and Joyce's laughter filled the isles as the two of them continued on their search for the perfect tree. 

**************** 

~Summers Residence- Christmas Eve~

As Buffy put the finishing touches on the Christmas tree, Joyce was almost frantically going around the house in an attempt to make everything more 'christmasy.' Giles just sat on the sofa in the living room, observing and enjoying the chaos. As Buffy debated whether to top the tree with an angel or a star, Joyce lit the fire she had been building in the fire place. 

Joyce stood from where she was kneeling on the floor and brushed off her hands. "There we go." 

Buffy, electing to go with the star, rolled her eyes at her mother. "Nothing like a roaring fire to keep away the blistering heat." 

"Oh, come on. It's lovely. Maybe I should turn the air conditioning on." 

Giles set his tea down on the coffee table and stood. He walked over to Joyce and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I think the fire adds just the right touch of ambiance," he said as he leaned down to kiss Joyce. 

"Okay, eeewww!" said Buffy, only half kidding as she shielded her eyes with her hand. 

"Buffy," said Joyce in a warning tone, but before she could reprimand her daughter, she was interrupted by the doorbell. Buffy walked to the door and opened it. Standing there was the last person Buffy expected to see. 

"Hey," said Faith. 

"Hi!" said a surprised Buffy. 

Faith shifted her feet nervously. "Uh, looked like that whole party thing was gonna be kind of a drag. I didn't really have anything... You know." 

Buffy smiled sincerely. "I'm glad you came." 

Faith smiled back at Buffy. Then she shoved two small, brightly colored package into Buffy's hands. "Uh... Here." 

Buffy gestured towards the rest of the house as she said, "Why don't you come in from the entire lack of cold?" 

Faith walked into the living room. "Uh, that one is for your mom," she said pointing at the larger of the two packages. "They're pretty crappy." 

Joyce had left Giles's embrace when she heard that it was Faith at the door. Now she walked over to greet the girl. "Faith, you made it." Buffy handed Joyce the gift that faith had indicated. Joyce looked at it for a second then she looked up at Faith and smiled. "Oh, that is so thoughtful." 

Faith made a self depreciating gesture. "They're crappy." As Faith stepped into the living room she noticed Giles standing by the tree. "Oh. Hey, Watcher-man. Sorry. Didn't bring you anything. Didn't know you were going to be here," she said shooting a look at Buffy.

Giles smiled. "It's quite alright. I'm just glad that you're here, Faith." Giles looked at Joyce. "Everyone should have someone special with whom to spend Christmas." Joyce blushed a little at Giles's words. 

This exchange was not lost on Buffy. _Jeez,_ she thought. _If those two get any cuter, I may hurl_. Aloud she said, "You know, I'm gonna go upstairs and get your gifts. Excuse me." Buffy quickly retreated up the stairs. 

After the three people in the living room watched Buffy flee to her room, Joyce turned to Faith and asked, "Uh, would you like some nog?"

A few minutes later, Buffy came back into the living room. Joyce had been telling Faith and Giles a story about a customer at the gallery who was demanding his purchase be shipped in time for Christmas, but quickly stopped when she noticed her daughter. Buffy looked shaken to the core. "Buffy, is something wrong?" Joyce asked. 

Buffy furiously shook her head. "No, no. Everything's fine. Um, Giles can I talk to you in the kitchen?" 

Giles stood quickly. "Of course, Buffy." Buffy turned and headed to the kitchen with Giles fast on her heels. When they reached the kitchen, Giles turned to his charge and asked, "Now, what happened that you can't say in front of your mother?"

Buffy started pacing the room like a caged tiger. "Upstairs. Just now. Angel."

"Oh," Giles said as he took out a handkerchief and started polishing his glasses. 

"Oh. That's all you have to say? Giles, we have to do something. Soon. Now." 

Giles shrugged and leaned against the center island. "I'm still not sure what." 

Almost as if in response to Giles's casual posture, Buffy began to pace faster and more frantically. "Find me these priest guys. Find me something I can pummel." 

"Let's not lose our heads." 

"Giles, he's slipping." When the Watcher didn't respond, Buffy's voice cracked a little. "I think we're losing him." 

Giles sighed and put his glasses back on. "Look... You realize if he... truly becomes a danger, you may have to kill him. Again. Can you do that?" 

Buffy looked at her feet. Finally, she raised her head and let her gaze meet his. "I.... I don't know."

Giles closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I thought as much."

"Listen, Giles. This thing- the First Evil. It's a book thing, right? I mean there are books about it? And you're book-guy. Giles, you are probably the only one who can help Angel."

"Buffy, I don't mean to disabuse you of the notion that I am all-powerful in the realm of cross-referencing, but we've already checked every book in the library. You were there, remember? Of all the books that even mention the First Evil, none of them told us where we could find it, how to kill it, or even if it could be killed."

"Yes," said Buffy slowly. "We checked every book in the _library_."

"Right...." said Giles, not sure what Buffy was getting at.

"Every book.... but none of the ones at your place. The really valuable and dangerous ones."

Giles stared at Buffy in disbelief. "You must be pulling my leg. Buffy, my private collection isn't referenced in any way. Even if one of those books held the answers we were looking for, we could search for weeks without finding it. Besides, books on demonology and magicks are a bit hard to come by. When I find them, I tend to buy on the spot. There are books in that collection I haven't even looked at yet." 

Buffy looked at the older man determinedly. "Then, don't you think it's time you did."

Giles looked into his Slayer's eyes and sighed. He knew he could deny Buffy nothing. "Come on then. If the situation is as dire as you say, we'd best hurry."

At his words, Buffy ran over and enveloped the older man in a fierce hug. "Oh, thank you, Giles," she whispered. Then she grabbed him by the hand and dragged him into the living room. "Mom, we've gotta go."

"Go?"

"Yeah, Giles and me are going to his place. Be back later." Buffy ran to upstairs to get her coat.

"Rupert?" Joyce said. "You're leaving?"

Giles took Joyce's hands in his. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Yes, luv. I'm sorry. I promise to make it up to you later."

"I assume this is work related."

"Unfortunately."

Joyce nodded. "Well, in that case, who am I to stand in the way of a Slayer off to save the world? Be careful."

Buffy was wearing a coat and carrying a backpack as she came back downstairs. She turned to her mother. "We will."

Faith looked at Buffy. "Hey, B. Need backup?"

Buffy smiled at the girl's offer. "Thanks, Faith, but I've got this one. I need you to stay here and protect Mom. Don't let.... anything in."

Faith gave Buffy one of her trademark smirks. "Not a prob, B."

Giles gestured to the door. "Shall we?"

Buffy unzipped the backpack and took out a stake. "Way ahead of you."

****************

~Later- At Giles's Apartment~

Buffy rubbed her tired eyes in frustration. She and Giles had been reading for over an hour. So far, they had found nothing. Buffy was sitting on Giles's counch and Giles was at the counter in the kitchen. Buffy was starting to feel the weight of the book on her lap. It had to be at least twenty pounds. And it smelled funny. She sighed. 

Giles looked up from what he was reading. "Find anything?" he asked. 

"No," said Buffy, her voice full of disappointment. "Listen to this: 'A child shall be born of man and goat and have two heads, and The First shall speak only in riddles...' No wonder you like this stuff," she said as she closed the book. "It's like reading the Sun." 

"Yes. Ahhh."

Buffy looked up at him. "Ahh? What Ahh? Priests?" 

"Um... Yes, but, uh, more, more posturing, I'm afraid. Um, 'For they are the Harbingers of death. Nothing shall grow above or below them. No seed shall flower, neither in man nor...'" Giles gestured to show that the passage went on like that for quiet a while. "They're rebels and they'll never ever be any good. Nothing specific about their haunts." 

Buffy stood and walked over to Giles. "Let me see that." Giles handed her the book. "'....the Harbingers of death. Nothing shall grow above or below...'" Buffy suddenly fell silent as she became lost in thought. 

"What?"

Buffy's head shot up suddenly. "Giles! I know where to find them. Buffy grabbed backpack and headed out the door. "Go back to my place. Stay with Mom. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Buffy!" Giles called. "Where are you going?" But it was too late. She was gone.

**************

On December 25th, 1999 a miracle occurred. While the people of Sunnydale slept a single girl's heart and a vampire's life were spared. By a snowfall. The first in Sunnydale history. In life there is only one certainty- that everyday, the sun will rise. This day was no exception. The sun rose, but was instantly obscured by the soft, downy flakes from heaven. In a few hours time, children would awake to discover, for most of them, their first 'white christmas.' People would open presents, build snowmen and go about their day. None having any idea of what took place on a hilltop outside of town in the minutes before dawn. 

And at 1630 Revello Drive, a brunette teenager slept on the couch, covered by a throw to protect her from the unexpected cold. And on the front lawn stood a middle-aged couple. Neither aware of that girl, that vampire, or that hilltop, but also neither of them able to sleep until their child returned home safely. So there they stood, holding hands, as the first flurries began to fall. 

To be continued.....

Author's Note 3: Please review. I need it! Also, has everyone seen those reviews from "the truth." It seems they were posted as feedback for every BtVS story. I just think it's funny that they're posting this message telling us to rise up against the Buffy/Spike pairing, and they put it on one of my stories, even though it says in my profile that I'm a B/S shipper. I get my laughs where I can find them. 


	5. Gingerbread Part 1

Stepfather

Chapter 5: Gingerbread Part 1

Disclaimer: Not mine. All Joss. Like you're surprised.

*Takes place during the episode Gingerbread*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"I only meant....."

"They were kids, Giles, Little kids...."

Rupert Giles closed his eyes and shook his head. He knew where Buffy was coming from. He really did. He wouldn't have been human if he couldn't empathize with her pain. Giles knew that Buffy was upset about her mother, as was he. Joyce had become an important figure in Giles's life. She was beautiful, intelligent, classy, and- except for Jenny- the only woman he had dated since coming to the United States.

Suddenly, Buffy cleared her throat. Giles realized she had finished speaking and was looking at him. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I just want to help," he said.

Buffy slumped heavily into one of the library's many chairs. "I know."

"Do we know anything about how... it wasn't the vampire...?"   


Buffy shook her head and looked distraught. "There were no marks. Wait. I mean there was a mark, a symbol."

Buffy grabbed a piece of paper from the table. Just as she picked up a pen, Giles quickly put down the mug he was holding and grabbed Buffy's hands. "Oh, uh, 12th century, Papal Encyclical. Write on this," he said handing her a spiral notebook. 

Buffy sketched a figure onto the paper. "I-it was on their hands. The cops are keeping it quiet, but I got a good look at it," she said. She handed the drawing to Giles. "There," she continued. "Find me the thing that uses this symbol and point me at it."

Giles removed his glasses and studied the symbol. It appeared to be an upside-down triangle with the point separated from the rest by a curved line. The line looked like the astrological sign of Leo. The symbol looked vaguely familiar to Giles, but he couldn't place where he would have seen it. "Hmm."

Buffy looked at him "Hmm. What? Giles, speak."

Giles rubbed his head. He wished he could remember where he had seen this. _Was it recently? No, maybe in London? With... Ethan? _

Giles suddenly realized that Buffy was watching him. He looked up from the notebook. "What? Oh, sorry. Um, no, it... I just wonder if we're looking for a thing. The use of a symbol o-o-on a victim like this suggests a, a ritual murder and a cult sacrifice by a group." 

Buffy looked shocked. "A group of... human beings? Someone with a soul did this?"

Giles shrugged. He had seen a lot worse in his Ripper days. He realized though, that saying this wouldn't placate Buffy. "Yes, I'm afraid so." Giles got up and walked over to one of the bookshelves. He crouched low and started looking through the books on the bottom shelf. 

"Okay," Buffy said, her voice filled with anger. "Then while you're looking for the meaning of that symbol thingy, could you also find a loophole in that 'Slayers don't kill people' rule?"

Giles turned and looked up at her from his position on the floor. "Buffy, this is a dreadful crime, I know." He stood up and took a step towards her. "And you have every right to be upset, but... I-I wonder if you're not letting yourself get a shade, uh... more personal because of your mother's involvement." 

Buffy looked at Giles like he had suddenly grown a second head. "Oh, it's _completely _personal." She stood as her tone got more confrontational. "What I don't understand is why it isn't _more_ personal for you."

Giles eyes narrowed. "Buffy, you had better not be suggesting what I think you're suggesting."

"Well, then. I'll just come out and say it. I think if you really cared about my mom, you'd be showing a little more concern."

"Buffy, I think you should leave."

"What?"

"I said that I think you should leave. I want you to go before I say something I'll regret." 

"Fine. I'm going to lunch," Buffy said harshly. "I'll report in later, _Mr. Giles_." Buffy turned angrily and stormed out of the library. She pushed on the library doors so forcefully that the sound of then banging against the walls caused Giles to wince. Giles took a deep breath to calm himself. Then he went into his office to make himself a pot of tea. He looked at the pile of books on his table then sighed. Tracking down one obscure symbol out of thousands without any kind of context... Giles removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles sat at his desk in his office with the lights off. His eyes were closed and his glasses were tucked into one of the pockets of his suit jacket. He inhaled deeply with his nose and exhaled through his mouth. His head bowed slightly as his shoulders relaxed. His mind was getting clearer, more focused. He could almost see it now. He took another deep breath and let the scent of the incense that was burning on his desk linger in his nostrils. He was almost there. Three more deep breaths and he could feel it- the bitter cold of a London winter coming through the broken glass of the window, the scratchy softness of that hideous purple rug under his bare feet, the faint sounds Black Sabbath coming from the record player in the corner. Giles could feel that his was close. Only a few minutes more and-

"Rupert?"

Giles jumped, startled by the sound of his name. His heart racing, he tried desperately to stay where he was. But with his concentration broken, the memory was fading faster then the wisps of smoke before him. Giles let out a frustrated groan and opened his eyes. Before him was the last person he was expecting to see. "Joyce. What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to Buffy about the children that we found on patrol. She told you about that, right?"

"Yes, she did. Are you alright? I was planning on ringing you later tonight. Buffy said that you were taking it a bit hard."

"Of course I am," Joyce said, her eyes widening. "I don't understand how anyone wouldn't."

Giles paused while he thought of what to say. "Yes, well... I am, um, researching to find out what might have... that is to say, to find the, um, culprit..."

"I know," said Joyce, interrupting.

"You do?"

"Buffy told me that you have books here that help her with the Slaying."

"Yes, I do, but that's not-"

"What were you doing?"

"Pardon?" said Giles, thrown by Joyce's sudden change of topic. 

"What were doing with the incense? You weren't casting a spell, were you?"

Giles frowned a little bit. "Joyce, darling, are you quite certain that you're feeling okay? You seem a bit.... strained." 

Joyce's hand reached out so quickly that it caught Giles by surprise when it grabbed his arm in a tight grip. "Tell me, Rupert," said Joyce her voice harsh and raspy. "Were you casting a spell?"

Giles looked at her with worry and a little bit of fear in his eyes. "No, Joyce, I wasn't."

At those words Joyce visibly relaxed. "Well, good." She released Giles from her iron grip. "So, what were you doing?"

Giles took Joyce's hand and walked the few steps to the sofa residing against the opposite wall of his office. He gestured, indicating that Joyce should sit down. She sat down calmly, like her earlier outburst was nothing but a figment of Giles's imagination. Giles, still watching her with no small amount of wariness, sat next to her. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Joyce, I assure you what I was doing- attempting to do- was perfectly benign. The symbol, the one you found on the... children in the park. I thought that I had seen it before."

"You've seen it? In one of your books?"

"Perhaps. Or possibly when I was a boy, in some of my father's things. Or at the Watcher's Academy while I was studying. Or possibly... elsewhere. The thing of it is, if I could remember exactly where I had seen it before, it would make searching for it so much easier. That is what I was doing with the incense. The sense of smell is one of the strongest memory triggers available. Since the Symbol appears to malevolent in nature I thought I might have encountered it during my time in London." He gestured towards the still burning incense on his desk. "I tried to recreate the memory in my mind using a scent I associated with that period of my life."

Joyce sniffed the air experimentally. "Sandalwood?" she asked.

Giles smiled and blushed faintly. "I thought patchouli oil would be a bit cliché. It was either this or light a joint. Somehow, I don't think Principal Snyder would be very forgiving if he caught the school librarian, um, toking up."

Joyce giggled at the embarrassed look on Giles face. "Why Rupert," she said coyly. "I had no idea your past was so full of youthful indiscretions."

Giles blushed a deeper shade of red and cleared his throat. "Yes, well, um, I think, perhaps, I've been on the wrong track."

Joyce shrugged. "So what's next? Your childhood?"

"Good heavens no!" Joyce looked surprised at his vehement exclamation. Giles saw this and he quickly amended his outburst. "I mean, I think not. There are... things in my past I would prefer not to deal with right now. My relationship with my father comes to the forefront. I think that dredging up those memories would be more distracting than productive. No, I think good old fashioned research would be the best course of action."

"To the books?"

Giles looked at Joyce speculatively. "All right, then." Giles stood and again offered Joyce his hand. She took it and he gently pulled her up from the couch. He walked to the door of his office and opened it. He held the door open for Joyce to pass through. Then he followed her, closing the door tightly behind him. 

He gestured to the table already heaped with several tall stacks of books. "That is where I was going to start."

"Oh," said Joyce, clearly overwhelmed.

"Yes, we've a lot of work ahead of us. Fortunately, it should go fast, or faster, at least. Since we're looking for a symbol, we don't have to read every single paragraph of text. We just have to look at the illustrations." Giles reached into his jacket pocket and removed his glasses. He took out and lightly embroidered handkerchief with the initials R.G. in the corner. He used it to polish his glasses before he put them back on his face. Then he tucked the handkerchief back into the pocket in his trousers.

He pulled out one of the chairs for the table and motioned for Joyce to sit. Giles then took the chair next to it. "Where should I start?" Joyce asked as she reached for one of the volumes. 

Giles looked up from his own stack of books. "You can start anywhere," he said, and then he noticed what book she was holding. "But not there," he said taking the book from her hand.

"Why not?" questioned Joyce.

"Well, you see, that book is the _Pergamum Codex_. I've already read it cover to cover. Several times in fact. If the symbol that we're looking for was in that I would have remembered." Giles scanned the books in his immediate vicinity. He grabbed a small one with a red, leather cover. "You can start looking through the demonology texts while I read the ones on transmogrification." He handed her the red book. "This one is about souleaters."

Joyce smiled faintly as she took the book. She had only been looking through it for about ten minutes when Giles heard her moan. He took of his glasses and peered at her. "Are you alright?"

Joyce looked slightly green. "Um, yes," she said shakily. "It's just some of these pictures are a bit graphic."

Giles took her hand in his. "Joyce, if you don't feel up to it, you don't have to continue."

"No," she said. "I'm fine. Are all the books like this?"

"Most of them."

Joyce looked around the table. She read the titles of a few of the other books aloud. "_Werebeasts of India_, _A History of the Modern Exorcism_, _Blood Rites and Ritual Sacrifices_?! Rupert, are these books in here all the time?"

Giles looked up from his book. "Um, yes."

"Where any of the students can get to them?"

"I suppose so, though not many of the students here can even tell you where the library is located, let alone visit it." Giles saw the expression on Joyce's face and quickly added, "Don't worry. I keep all the dangerous books safely locked in the book cage."

"Dangerous?"

"The ones involving powerful dark magicks." If it was possible, Joyce's eyes seemed to grow wider. Giles sighed. "Darling, are you sure this is how you want to spend an afternoon? Research is usually quite dull. I can give you call this evening and let you know if we find anything."

"Buffy said that you needed my help. Besides, I won't be home tonight."

"Where are you going?" 

"I've called everyone I knew and we organized a meeting at City Hall for this evening. Half the town is coming. Even Mayor Wilkins is going to be there. It's time that we were responsible and got the word out."

Giles looked at Joyce apprehensively. "What do you mean 'got the word out?'"

Joyce looked at him. "Just what I said. We need to tell people. About the vampires and the demons and the witches. If people knew they could be prepared- protect themselves."

"Joyce..." Giles started.

"No, Rupert. I'm right. I know I am. How many lives would be saved if everyone in Sunnydale carried a cross with them when they went out."

"Joyce," Giles tried again. 

"Or a bottle of holy water," Joyce continued unhindered. "And the witches. We tell people what to look for. We could find-"

"JOYCE!" Giles roared. When he saw that he had her attention Giles lowered his voice and spoke calmly. He reached out and took her hands in his. "Joyce, if people wanted to know, they would know. The evidence is there. Often, right in front of people's eyes." Giles reached up and tucked and errant strand of hair behind Joyce's ear. "People will believe whatever they want. And they don't want to believe that the monsters under the bed are real. Backed up sewer lines, gangs on PCP, tricks of the light. All preferable to the truth." Giles raised Joyce's hand to his lips and gently kissed her palm. 

Joyce sighed at the touch of his lips on her skin. She shook her head. "No, I have to try."

Joyce stood quickly to leave. Giles held fast to her wrist, keeping her restrained. he turned his head to look up at her. "Please don't. I beg of you, Joyce. Please do not do this. If not for me, for Buffy."

Joyce broke away from his grip. "I have to," she said more firmly. Her expression was a mixture of determination, worry, and betrayal. Giles didn't know which concerned him the most. He watched as the woman he loved ran out his library, the doors swinging wildly behind her. _Love? _he thought. _Where had that come from? _Giles thought about it. Joyce was a wonderful woman. She was intelligent, kind, and caring. In fact, the traits Giles admired most in his Slayer were reflected in the woman that gave her life. Buffy's zest for life, her sense of duty, her compassion for others had all stemmed from her mother. The more Giles thought about it, the more right it seemed. He loved Buffy with all of his heart, but as a father loves his daughter, or a mentor loves his student. Was it so strange that he had fallen in love with someone so similar. 

But on the heels of this joyous revelation came a fear that twisted into Giles's heart like a knife. Something was wrong with Joyce. Giles knew it like he knew his own name. She was acting erratically, even more so than was expected after the shock of finding those children. _Come on, old man. Give the woman some slack. You and Buffy and the rest of the Scooby gang deal with death and dismemberment on a daily basis. Allow the woman some time to adjust. _Giles shook his head. No, it wouldn't fly. Whatever was causing Joyce's bizarre behavior was-

*Ring Ring* Giles thoughts were interrupted by the telephone at the front desk. _Odd,_ he thought. Only twice in his entire tenure at Sunnydale High School had he ever received a call here that hadn't been from a member of the Scooby Gang. He almost believed that he had imagined the ringing when the phone did it again. *Ring Ring* Giles hurried out of his office to the desk. The two short rings instead of one long one meant that the call was coming from outside the school. He wanted to find out was on the other end. Giles managed to grab the handset before the third set of rings began.

"Sunnydale High School Library, Rupert Giles speaking." Giles said when he answered. 

"Ah, yes, Rupert. So good to hear you again," said the voice on the other end of the line. Giles needn't ask who the caller was. He would recognize that patronizing tone anywhere.

"Quentin Travers," Giles said with thinly disguised disdain. "To what do I owe the pleasure."

"Ah, Rupert. Try not to sound so hostile. I'm only calling to make sure that everything has been arranged for the Council's arrival next week."

"Yes, I've procured the building that is to be used. Is that all Quentin? I'm rather busy at the moment."

"That is all, Rupert. However, I must say, I am looking forward to seeing how your Slayer measures up."

"Buffy has a tendency to exceed expectations."

"I certainly hope so, Rupert. For her sake."

"Good day, Quentin," Giles said as he put the receiver back on the cradle. This was the last thing he needed right now. _Bloody council with their bloody tests. There is an unknown threat emerging, Buffy and I had a fight and now she distrusts me, I fear Joyce may be under a spell, and, oh yeah, I finally realized I love her, but I can't tell her, because I intend to get her daughter killed next week and that tends to put a damper on any romance._

Giles was so frustrated he could scream. Or punch someone. But he settled for throwing something. With a ferocious howl full of frustration and rage, he grabbed the first lightweight object he could find and hurled it at the opposite wall with all of his strength. Unfortunately, that object happened to be his coffee mug from earlier that morning. Even more unfortunately, it hit the wall and exploded into hundreds of tiny ceramic shards just as Willow was entering the library. 

The redhead looked shocked as the mug only missed her by a couple of feet. She let out a nervous laugh and tried not to let her fear show. "Gee, Giles. I knew you didn't like coffee, but..."

When Giles saw her standing there he was instantly contrite. "Oh Willow. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't see you come in. I... it's... Damn it!"

"No, no," Willow said, trying to reassure the older man. Her forehead crinkled with a concerned expression. She held out her arms as if modeling a new outfit. "See, look. I'm fine. Nine kinds of good."

Giles sighed. "No, that isn't what I--," Giles stopped as soon as he saw the frown on Willow's face. "Not that I'm not relieved that you're uninjured," he quickly amended. "It's just-," Giles stopped and took a deep breath. "Let me start over. Willow, I'm dreadfully sorry that I threw that mug. It was a stupid and childish thing to do, and I should know better. I am thankful that I didn't inadvertently hit you."

Willow nodded sagely. "Apology accepted." She walked across the room and gave Giles a firm hug. As she pulled away she looked up into his tired green eyes. "Now, do you want to talk about it?"

Giles let out a throaty chuckle. "No, thank you. I just was feeling a tad overwhelmed. For a moment, it seemed as though the universe was conspiring against me."

Willow nodded again. "I understand." Then she grinned. "Don't worry about it. If the universe tries anything, Buffy and Xander and I will protect you. Not even cosmic forces will want to go up against an angry Slayer.

Willow's mention of Buffy unintentional brought up Giles's memory of the unwelcome phone call he had received only minutes before. Willow noticed the frown that crossed his features. "Giles, are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"Hmm, what?" Giles looked down as if suddenly remembering the girl before him. "Yes, yes. I'm quite alright." Desperate to change the topic he said, "So, what did you need?"

Willow had to stop and think. "Need? Oh! I just came to tell you that there's going to be this thing at City Hall tonight. Mrs. Summers organized it. I think you should go."

"I was intending to." At Willow's puzzled expression he added, "Joyce stopped by to see me." 

"Oh." Willow bit her bottom lip, unsure about her next question. "Giles," she asked, "do you think Mrs. Summers is alright? When we saw her she seemed kinda-"

"Intense?"

"I was going to say gung-ho, but yeah."

Giles sighed. "I'm not sure, Willow. I suppose we'll find out tonight. Say, shouldn't you be getting to class?"

"Yeah. I'm on my way, but I just wanted to ask you something. What's up between you and Buffy?"

"Buffy?"

"Yeah. When I told her I was going to stop by she got this weird look on her face like 'I'm mad at Giles and I don't know why, but I'm sure it's his fault.'"

Giles laughed a little at her description. "Don't concern yourself with it. We had a small argument, but I suspect everything will be right as rain soon."

"Good, 'cause I don't like it when you two fight." With that she turned around and headed to her next class. She would be a few minutes late, but in the grand scheme of things, Willow would rather have a few tardys on her record and happy friends than the opposite. 

Giles watched her go, amazed once again by the girl's capacity to care for and love others. Giles glanced back at the desk behind him, overflowing with books. Then at the mess in front of him- tea streaming down the wall and shard of broken glass spread over a four foot radius of the point of impact. _Well, first thing's first, _he thought as we went over to dispose of what used to be his favorite mug. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Sunnydale City Hall: Later that evening~

"...This isn't our town anymore. It belongs to the monsters and the witches and the Slayers. I say it's time for the grownups to take Sunnydale back." Buffy watched her mother in openmouthed horror as Joyce concluded her speech. "I say we start by finding the people who did this and making them pay." 

Giles wasn't fairing much better. He took off his glasses and furiously started to clean them, as if by doing so he could fix what he had just seen. He felt a tug on the sleeve of his tweed coat. He replaced his glasses, looked down and saw Buffy, one of the strongest, most talented Vampire Slayers that ever lived, looking for all the world like a scared little girl. "Giles," she said, her voice pleading with him. "Why is she saying these things?" 

Giles knew instantly that everything that had transpired earlier between him and Buffy was forgotten. They were back to the way it was before, with Buffy turning to Giles for support and comfort. Giles couldn't have been happier that his Slayer trusted him again, but it broke his heart that this was the way it had happened. Giles looked down at the girl beside him, struggling to hold back the tears and he wished he could wave a magic wand and make everything better. He couldn't though. All he could do was lend her a shoulder to cry on. With one arm he reach around and gathered Buffy up, drawing her close, shielding her. With the other, he did the same with Willow. Giles observed the redhead and was suddenly grateful that he had gathered her into his embrace when he did. The teenager looked unsteady, as though her legs suffered a terrible burden just trying to support her petite frame. 

Whatever was making Joyce act like this was clearly an extremely powerful dark force. Giles squirmed and felt uncomfortable at his own lack of knowledge. He had been unable to turn up any information on the symbol that Buffy had drawn and nothing in the Watcher Diaries described anything like this. Like a retired police officer reaching for a gun in a holster he no longer wore, Giles racked his brain for the information he knew it didn't contain. Giles's thoughts were interrupted by Mayor Richard Wilkins III as the man attempted to retake the stage. 

The Mayor of Sunnydale strode to the podium, oozing the confidence and charm that had gotten him re-elected more times than Giles could count. The Mayor came up behind Joyce and gestured for her to step back. Rather, Joyce moved sideways, and only as far as the minimum courtesy called for. Unwilling to share the podium with this woman, yet aware that he evicting her would cause more fuss than he cared to deal with, the Mayor stood in front of the microphone and angled his body away from Joyce as he prepared to speak. Giles watched this subtle maneuvering with a detached interest. _Mayor Wilkins and Joyce,_ he thought. _Irresistible force meet immovable object._

The Mayor cleared his throat and began to address the crowd. "I would just like to thank Mrs. Summers for her words. I would also like to remind everyone that the fine men and women of the Sunnydale Police department are on this case, so there is no excuse to do anything rash." The Mayor let out a little laugh. "After all," he said, "that wouldn't be very neighborly, now would it?"

Giles looked around at the crowd that, minutes before, had been cheering Joyce's words. No matter what placating words the Mayor found, there would be violence. Giles could feel the bloodlust that now consumed the adults of Sunnydale. Giles glanced from face to face. Everywhere he looked, the rational, thinking people he had come to know were gone. In their place were mindless sheep willing to do whatever they were told. Giles felt a small shiver run through his body. He instinctively tightened his hold on the two girls beside him. 

On stage, Joyce leaned around the Mayor to make one last announcement. She spoke loudly and her voice was further amplified by the microphone in front of her. "I just want to say one last thing. We are having a meeting in..." Joyce paused to look at her watch, "half an hour at my house- 1630 Revello Dr. It's for all the concerned citizens of Sunnydale that want to keep our community safe from the unholy menace." At hearing this Buffy let out a small whimper.

Giles looked at Joyce and then the two girls whose safety was currently paramount. He knew he had to get Buffy and Willow out of that room right now, or they might not leave at all. he leaned over a softly whispered in Willow's ear. "Willow, I need you to listen very carefully. Did you and Buffy walk here?" Willow nodded, but did not speak. Giles continued, "Good. Do not run but leave here quickly and quietly. Once you get a good distance away from this building, call Oz, Xander, and Cordelia. Have them meet you in the library. After you're all there, barricade the entrances, and don't forget the one in the stacks. Admit no one save Buffy or myself. Do you understand?" 

"Yes," Willow said quietly, her voice matching Giles's discrete tone. "But what will you be doing?"

"Buffy and I will be in my car. In case they decide to apprehend her, we'll take them on a merry chase into the hills and return the back way into town." Giles spared a glance at the redhead, then his eyes went back to searching the crowd for a threat to his Slayer. "Are you okay," he asked her. 

Willow swallowed visibly. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

Giles nodded in understanding and then whispered one word: "Go."

Willow took a deep breath and quickly made her way to the back of the room. She only moved as fast as was prudent. Giles watched her go out of the corner of her eye. He was proud of her. Willow's movements were easy and betrayed nothing. For as much as anyone else knew she was just another girl going to the ladies lavatory. Or perhaps outside to make a call where her cell phone reception was better.

Giles watched as Joyce made her way to them. Joyce was grinning from ear to ear. She walked up to them with an easy care-free gait. Joyce didn't see Buffy grabbed tighter onto Giles, her perfectly painted fingernails digging into his bicep. 

"Buffy, isn't this great!" Joyce enthused. "Now we can kill all the monsters and you won't be a Slayer anymore and our lives will go back to normal."

Buffy flinched as her mother said the word normal, but it was a small movement. Giles doubted Joyce even noticed. "Yeah, that's great, Mom," said Buffy attempting to hide the strain she was suffering. 

"Joyce," said Giles in an unconcerned tone, "if you don't mind I'd like to take Buffy home. She's had a long day."

"That's fine." Joyce reached out an held the back of her hand and felt Buffy's forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Sweetheart?"

"Um, yeah, Mom. I'm fine. Just tired," Buffy said as she gripped Giles even tighter. The librarian was certain he'd have bruises in the morning.

"Okay, Honey. You just go home and get some sleep."

Buffy affected a tired smile. "I will."

Giles and Buffy headed for the door. No one attempted to stop them or hinder them in anyway. Giles thanked his good fortune and hurried to his car with Buffy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Two hours later~

Willow was startled out of the book she was pouring over by a knock at the library door. Xander and Cordelia looked up from where they were also reading. Oz, sitting on the carpeted steps, stopped fingering cords on his guitar and motioned for everyone to remain silent. Xander picked up a sword from the table and stealthily walked towards the door. Ox followed close behind him with a baseball bat. Willow and Cordelia stood from their seats and moved as far away from the door as possible, Willow still clutching the book she was reading.

Xander crept closer to the library's tandem doors and looked out one of the circular windows. Suddenly there was a face staring back at him! "Aaahhh!" Xander screamed. At Xander's holler, the other Scoobies yelled also. 

Through the noise a voice could be heard. "Xander! Open the bloody door this instant."

As he recognized the aggravated tone on the other side of the door, he felt relief wash over him. "Hey, everyone," he said. "It's Giles. Not the crazy people come to kill us."

The Scoobies let out a collective sigh of relief as Xander and Oz hurried to remove the card catalogue and other furniture they had used to barricade the door.

After Buffy and Giles were safely inside and the door reinforced once again, everyone went back to their respective seats. Buffy joined her friends at the table, though electing to sit on top of it rather than in a chair. Giles decided not to sit at all and began to pace. 

The Librarian excitedly looked over the table all ready heaping with books. "I'm so proud. You've begun research without me. You've all shown wonderful initiative."

"Well _some_ of us have," said Willow, glaring pointedly at Cordelia and Xander. 

"What?" said Giles somewhat confused, and then he looked over at Xander's pile of books and understood. Peeking out from underneath a particularly weighty tome was what appeared to be a comic book. Cordelia, meanwhile, was unashamedly flipping through the fashion section of the latest issue of _Cosmo_. 

"Well, nevertheless," said Giles, "I'm impressed that you knew what to look for."

"Not really," said Willow. "We just came up with a few possibilities. They might not even be right."

Giles grinned kindly. "We all have to start somewhere." Willow blushed from his praise. 

"Yeah," said Oz from his place on the stairs. "We thought Mrs. Summers might be, like, possessed. Maybe a spell." Having spoken his piece Oz turned his focus back to the instrument in his hands.

"Or..." prompted Xander.

Willow rolled her eyes and said, "Xander thinks that it's a Beazor, but I told him that it's unlikely 'cause no eggs and Mrs. Summers was acting way too lucid."

Giles nodded. "I'm inclined to agree. I think we can also rule out demonic possession, because of the way the crowd was responding. If she was possessed, only Joyce would be affected. I fear we may be looking at some form of spell."

"Wait a minute," said Buffy. "This is my Mom. Hasn't any one given any thought to that fact that she might just be stressing. She doesn't have to be under a spell."

"Buffy," Giles said, "Given your mother's behavior...."

"Listen, I know she's acting weird. I saw it too. But this is my Mom! And Giles, she didn't try to attack me or anything. We drove around forever, but nobody followed us. If she was being controlled by something evil, don't you think she would have made her move while they had us outnumbered."

Cordelia put aside her magazine and said, "Not necessarily. She could have just remembered your freaky Hulk strength and decided to kill you in your sleep."

Everyone just stared at the brunette for a moment. Buffy was the first to speak. "Thanks, Cordy. Real reassuring." Cordelia just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, 'hey, I'm just saying.'

Giles cleared his throat. "Yes, well," he began. "Despite Cordelia's utter callousness and lack of discretion, I find that I am forced to agree with the salient points of her argument." Giles turned towards his Slayer. "Buffy, I do not believe that your home is the safest place for you to be. I would prefer it, as you Watcher, if you would spend the night at my flat. You can have my bed and I, of course, will take the couch."

Buffy smiled at Giles's nervous formality. "Thanks, but I'm not going to stay someplace else. I won't let myself be scared out of my own home. Especially not if my mother is the one doing the scaring.

Then Willow timidly piped up, "But, Buffy. What about that meeting? It's tonight at your house." Willow looked at her watch. "It's probably still going strong."

Buffy blanched. "Oh. In that case, can I stay at your house?"

Willow grinned. "Sure."

"What about not being frightened out of your own home?" Giles asked, somewhat amused at Buffy's quick turn around.

Buffy shook her head defiantly. "I'm not scared. I'm wigged. Super wigged. And I never said that the pod people couldn't creep me out of my house." 

Giles marveled internally at Buffy's unique brand of logic. Aloud he said, "Good. That's settled. Willow, since your mother was also at the protest, is there a way for you and Buffy to return to your house without running into your parents?"

Willow nodded eagerly. "Totally. Tons of ways. I mean, I hardly ever see my parents even when I'm not trying to avoid them. My room has a balcony with a door."

"Excellent," said Giles. "Now that we've that settled, I'd like to concentrate on finding whatever is doing this. How far have you gotten on the research?"

TBC........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*A/N* Okay, I swore up and down that I was going to do Gingerbread as one whole chapter, but as you can see... Anyway, it was already super long (13 pages) and I felt breaking it up would be easier on you, the readers. I should have the second half (Gingerbread Part 2) written and up after I finish with finals. Stupid exams. Please review and let me know how I did with making this chapter understandable to people who haven't seen the episode _Gingerbread_ and how well my original scenes fit in with the canon. Thanks.

-Leanne 


	6. Gingerbread Part 2

Author's note: Thank you everyone for the reviews. Stepfather is difficult to write and your encouragement keeps me going. You know who you are, but since this is acknowledgement time, here it goes....

*takes deep breath* flystardusterkm, WhiteWolf 3, em, manticore-gurl071134, Anne, Margaret Tranquility, Nat, The Waco Kid, Teri, L-chan, Alex, Pat, okeydokey, and Jenn.

This chapter is dedicated to Nat. Thank you for your reviews and emails. The only thing an author ever wants is to be read, liked, and understood. You have given me all three. Thanks.

-Leanne

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Chapter 6: Gingerbread Part 2

Giles looked around what was left of the Sunnydale City Hall, as he tried to steady his badly shaken nerves. He didn't lose Buffy today. She was fine, as was Joyce, but they would both need him after this ordeal. As he surveyed the destruction before him, he shook his head with amazement. What wasn't damaged by the fire or the smoke, Cordelia took care of with her liberal application of the fire hose. _It's going to cost a fortune to fix this, _Giles thought. _At least I know what my taxes will be going towards for the next couple of years._

Suddenly, the ceiling above Giles gave way. He quickly sidestepped to place even more distance between himself and the falling debris. The latter of which included plaster, fiberglass, a support beam, and two teenaged boys. Xander and Oz looked around the room sheepishly. Oz quickly broke the stunned silence in his usual succinct style. "We're here to save you." 

The boys dramatic entrance proved to be the last straw for Sheila Rosenberg. The poor woman fainted dead away. Giles attempted to catch her, but she and Joyce were standing too far away. He had only made it half way before she hit the floor. Giles continued moving and was at her side in an instant. He checked her pulse and found it strong, if a bit fast. 

"Mom!" cried Willow.

"It's alright, Willow," Giles assured the girl. He quickly looked Mrs. Rosenberg over for injuries. "She appears to be unharmed. And it doesn't look like she struck her head on anything on the way down. I think she's just in shock. She should be fine when she awakens."

Giles looked around the room. _Come on, old man. You're the grown-up. Get it together and get everyone organized. _Giles took a deep breath and started issuing orders. "Oz. Xander. Untie Willow and Buffy- quickly." The boys scrambled from the floor and hurried towards the girls. Giles turned to the brunette behind him. "Cordelia, take Mrs. Rosenberg to her car. Put her in the backseat."

"But-"

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Cordelia! Please, just this once, do as you're told."

"But she looks heavy. There's no way I can lift her all by myself."

Giles looked to see the progress the boys were making. Oz was having some difficulty with Willow's ropes, but Xander was nearly done with Buffy. "Xander, when your finished, help Cordelia. 

"But-" began Xander.

"Now!" roared Giles. He turned to his girlfriend who had been silent this entire time. "Joyce..." he began, but stopped when he saw the look on her face. She was extremely pale and the glazed look in her eyes told him she was probably about to join Willow's mother on the floor. "Never mind," he said with a sigh.

Xander finished untying Buffy from the giant stake. The petite girl shrugged off the bindings and rubbed her arms where the ropes had chaffed them. Xander and Cordelia came over and lifted Mrs. Rosenberg. Xander held her arms and Cordelia picked up her feet. The started towards the door and Giles called after them, "Drive her home. Take her inside."

"Wait!" yelled Willow.

"Will, could you make it short," Xander groaned. "No offense, but your mom is kinda heavy."

"Giles, what about Amy?" Willow said frantically. 

"Amy?" asked Giles

"Um, when we were all tied up, she turned herself into a rat. To escape."

"A rat?"

"Yeah. And she's here somewhere. And we need to get her before she gets hurt. Oh and so I can turn her back."

"Um, yes. Wait a moment. I need to think."

With a small grunt Oz freed Willow from her bonds. The redhead jumped back from the ropes as though they were poisonous snakes.

Giles cleared his throat and began speaking. "New plan, everyone. Xander and Cordelia will take Mrs. Rosenberg home in her car. You will wait there for Willow to arrive. If Sheila wakes up before Willow gets home, tell her only that she fainted and you drove her home." Xander and Cordelia adjusted their grips on the unconscious woman and headed for the parking lot. Giles turned to Joyce and asked her gently, "May I have your car keys?" Joyce reached into her pocket and fished them out. She handed them to Giles without a word. 

Giles turned to Buffy. "Do you feel up to burying the demon?" he asked. She nodded in the affirmative. He tossed the keys to her underhand. Buffy caught them easily, her Slayer reflexes not dulled by her recent experience. "Take the jeep- just this once- and drive somewhere remote. Make sure and pick up a shovel on the way. After, drive to Willow's house and meet up with the gang. Call me if there's trouble. Buffy nodded and jogged out the door. Giles then turned his attention to Willow and Oz. "Your van is here, correct?" he asked the boy. 

"Yes."

"Good. You two, search this room. When you find, um, Amy, take her home and find a container for her that she won't be able to gnaw through. When you get there, _don't_ try to reverse Amy's conjuration. I want to do some research about the spell she used first. Make sure we don't accidentally harm her. When you get home, wait for everyone else. After that, Xander and Cordelia can go home. I would like it if you kept Buffy there, however."

"Um, Giles?"

"Yes, Willow."

"Can I talk to you... um, over here." She made a small motion with her hand and gestured for him to step away from Joyce."

Giles walked to Willow. He bent over and said softly, "Yes, Willow. What do you need?"

"Um, what about, you know..." She trailed of but pointed at Joyce. 

Giles nodded and put his hand on Willow's shoulder. "That's why I want you to have Buffy stay at your house. I think that Joyce and I need to talk and as hard as it's going to be for Buffy to see her mother, it will be even harder for Joyce to be around Buffy."

"I, I understand, Giles. Don't worry. I'll take care of Buffy."

"Thank you, Willow." Giles was just about to go back to Joyce when he looked at Willow closer. She was looking at her dust covered tennis shoes. Giles reached over and lifted her chin so that she was looking up into his eyes. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Um, yeah. I mean.. I'm fine. Go. Mrs. Summers needs you."

"Willow, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about this ordeal would affect you, or Xander, Oz and Cordelia. I just..." Giles trailed off and looked over at Joyce. 

"No, Giles. It's okay. Buffy's your Slayer. She _should_ be your first priority. And Joyce, you two are, um, involved, I guess. It's only natural that they would take precedence...."

Giles reach over and grabbed Willow. He wrapped his arms around the girl in a bone-crushing hug. Willow just couldn't hold back anymore. She burst into tears. Giles continued to hold her as her tiny body was racked with sobs. "Shh. Shhh," Giles whispered into her ear. "It's going to be fine. I'll take care of everything."

"Mrpphglled," said Willow. At least that is what Giles heard with Willow's face buried in his shoulder. 

Giles grinned gently at her. "I'm afraid you'll have to repeat that."

Willow lifted her head so that she was once again looking at the older man. "Thank you. I don't know what any one of us would do without you."

"You'd get along. And do a splendid job of it." Giles was gratified when Willow smiled shyly at him. He shook his head at the poor girl. Seventeen years of being ignored by her parents and when they finally notice her, this is what happens. And what of Xander's parents. Giles knew that both of them drank, and fought. The boy had never said as much, but Giles had a strong suspicion that Xander's father hit him. Giles didn't know anything about Oz's parents- except that Oz preferred to be anywhere but home. Jonathan and Charlotte Chase were an equal mystery. All Giles knew of them was that the Sunnydale community had a strong suspicion that Jonathan Chase earned and kept his fortune through less than sterling means. 

Giles sighed softly and glanced quickly at Joyce. A woman who had remained willfully ignorant of the world around her for years was the best example of parenting Giles had found since coming to this place.

Giles was pulled out his thoughts by a sensation of pressure on his shoulder. He looked down and saw that Willow had pulled the long sleeve of her shirt down over her hand and was furiously rubbing at his jacket. Giles smiled amusedly and asked her, "What on earth are you doing?"

"Oh," said Willow as she looked up at Giles with a surprised _expression. Quickly her face colored as she tried to explain. "Well, when I was crying, I um, got snot on your jacket."

Giles chuckled as he pulled Willow in for another hug. "Oh Willow. Thank you."

"For messing up the tweed?" Willow said, puzzled.

"No, dear girl. For being Willow." Giles took out a handkerchief from his pocket. He looked at Willow's dishevelment. Because of the smoke from the fire, she was covered head to foot in a fine layer of soot. Where the tears had run down her cheeks, they mixed with the soot to from a sort of ashy paste. Giles took the handkerchief and started wiping away the soot from Willow's face. "And you needn't worry," he continued. "After all the years I've been fighting demons, this is the least of the stains. I'm positive that if I bring one more blood soaked suit to the cleaners, the owner will call the authorities on me." 

Willow laughed a bit at that, then she reached up her hand and put it on Giles's to still it. She smiled at him. "It's alright, Giles. I can clean up when I get home." 

"If you'd rather not spend tonight at home-"

"No, I think I should be there- for my mom. If she snaps out of it and remembers anything, then she'll need answers."

"Are you certain?"

"Yup. Regardless of where we spend tonight, I'm pretty sure the Scooby Gang will spend it together." Willow suddenly brightened. "It will be like a sleepover. A sleepover inspired by terror, but still."

"Well, that's... good," Giles said hesitantly. "First we best find Amy."

"Got her," called Oz as he stood up from behind one of the piles of still smoking books. In his arms he held a trembling brown rat. 

"Where was she?" asked Willow.

"Under this," said Oz as her held up a partially charred book. He flipped it over to look at the cover. "Um, The Black Chronicles Vol. 4."Oz looked up at Giles and then down at the book he was holding. "Uh oh."

"What!" cried Giles. He quickly ran to one of the biers of books. He picked up a couple and quickly looked at their covers. "This is MY collection!" he hollered.

"Not all of it," said Willow. "It's too many books just to be yours."

"It's probably everything in Sunnydale that MOO deemed 'objectionable,'" said Oz. "I heard they hit the Public Library pretty hard. And the magic shop downtown."

"Good lord," said Giles. His legs buckled under him and he collapsed to the floor. "Some of these books were priceless- irreplaceable."

"Oh, it will be okay, Giles," called Willow. "Don't worry. We'll come back really early tomorrow and get all the books. And look- they're not all damaged." She grabbed a book off of one of the piles. "See this one's fine. It's..." she trailed off as she looked at the book she was holding, "...probably not one of yours 'cause it's a copy of Harry Potter, but I'm sure there's lot's of your books are fine too."

"What am I going to do?" said Giles staring at the carnage that used to be his meticulously organized demonology library.

Willow marched up to him, 'resolve face' in place. "I'll tell you what you're gonna do. You're gonna get up and take Mrs. Summers to Buffy's house. The you'll come back here at 7:30 tomorrow morning and we'll get started moving these books to your house. Then we'll spend the whole day salvaging what we can and throwing out what we can't. Okay?"

Giles looked up at the formidable redhead in front of him. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." Willow walked over to Oz. The boy took her hand and together they walked out the door and towards the exit and Oz's van. 

Giles stood. He looked over to where Joyce was standing. She was in exactly the same place he had left her, standing stalk still. Giles walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He lead her out of the room and down the hall to the front entrance. Giles's car was parked outside. When they reached it, Giles walked over to the passenger side. He took out his keys and unlocked the door. Joyce got inside and sat down, staring blankly ahead, not saying anything. Giles closed her door carefully, making sure not to catch her clothing or her seatbelt. Giles walked around the car and opened his door. When he sat down, he discovered that Joyce had fastened her own seat belt. _That's a good sign, _Giles thought. _At least, I think it is._

As if sensing it's owner's distress, the Citroen started up with a minimum of coaxing. Giles put it in gear and started down the road. He knew it was going to be a long drive home.

*************************

~Rosenberg Residence

40 minutes later~

Willow, Oz, Xander, and Cordelia were sitting in Willow's living room when the front door bell rang. Willow got up and went to answer it.

"So, then what happened?" asked Cordelia. 

Xander shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, then Oz and I went to city hall. We ran into a mob of crazy people, crawled around in the air conditioning ducts for awhile, then we fell through the ceiling. All in all, an event filled evening."

"Yeah," marveled Cordelia. "I just hope I can get all my stuff back from my parents. My mom took this black cashmere sweater that I wanted to wear to the Bronze tomorrow night."

Xander looked at Oz and said, "Beware, man. We've now entered the Queen C Zone. Where priorities include Cordelia's hair, Cordelia's wardrobe, and Cordelia's make-up."

Oz let out a small chuckle and Cordelia looked up from where she was examining the state of her manicure. "Hey. That is not all I think about. You know, it's not like anyone is dead or anything. The Scoobies are all fine."

"Yeah," said Oz. "Except for Amy. She's kinda still a rat." he pointed over to the Tupperware container where they put Amy until they could find a cage for her. Oz had used his pocket knife to poke a few holes in the container's lid, forever ruining it, but Willow had assured Oz that her mother wouldn't miss one piece of Tupperware. Besides, Xander had argued, Amy needed air a lot more than Mrs. Rosenberg needed a place to store leftovers. 

Just then, Willow came back into the living room followed immediately, by her tired and bedraggled best friend. Xander looked up at them from his place on the couch and said, "Hey, Buff! How'd the burial go? Did you a saw a few nice words?"

"Does swearing count?" asked Buffy as she sank into and arm chair. "Cause, Big Ugly, he was heavy."

"So, where'd you bury him?" asked Willow.

"Well, it wasn't so much a burial as a body dump." Buffy caught Willow's disapproving look and quickly rushed to explain her actions. "Don't worry. I'll tell Giles in the morning. I'm sure he'll understand. It's not like anyone's going to find him. Remember that empty crypt from last week?"

"The one that's empty, 'cause you and Faith killed all the vamps living in it?" asked Xander.

"Yeah, that one," said Buffy. "Anyway, I stuck him in there. I figure the smell of decomposing demon will keep the vamps away."

"Good plan," remarked Willow.

"Yeah, Buff," said Xander. "Very two birds with one ugly stone."

"I thought so," said Buffy looking pleased.

Suddenly Cordelia stood and said, "Well, this has been a barrel of joy, but everyone came back safe, so I'll be heading home now."

"Cordelia, I don't think that's a good idea," Willow said. 

The brunette turned towards her. "Why not?" 

"We don't know how long this demonic influence is going to affect people. You said your parents had succumbed to it."

"Willow, do you really think my parents would try to kill me?"

"Depends. What did your MasterCard bill look like this month?"

"Xander, that's not helping. Listen, Cordy. If you want to leave, I can't stop you. Buffy probably could, but I can't. I just- I think we should stick together tonight." 

Cordelia slumped back in her chair. "Oh, alright. I'll stay here. But I want it noted that I'm here under duress."

"Wait a minute," said Xander. "Cordelia's staying here? Then I am definitely going home."

"Xander! It's not safe."

"Wills, my parents weren't in the mob. You have no proof that they were even affected by this spell or whatever."

"And you don't have any proof that your dad isn't sitting at home waiting for you with one of his shotguns," Willow countered.

Xander pressed on the sofa as if testing it and said, "So, this couch pulls out, right?"

Oz looked at Xander and said, "I'm with you, man. My parents don't know I'm a werewolf, but in case they figured it out, I think I'm better off here." 

Buffy stood as if to leave. Willow saw her and snapped, "Where do you think you're going?" 

"Willow," began Buffy, "as great as a slumber party sounds, I have to get home. My mom needs me."

"Buffy, Giles thinks it's a good idea if you stay here tonight."

"Well, that's great for Giles, but I need to be with my mom. She's just been through this totally traumatic experience and she doesn't have anyone."

Willow took a deep breath. She knew Buffy was not going to like this next part. "Yes, she does. She has Giles."

Buffy looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I- I think he's going to spend the night at your place?"

"Oh." Buffy slid back into her chair.

Willow looked worriedly at her. "Buffy, are you okay."

Buffy waved off her question. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... he's never stayed over before. I mean, they always go out for their dates. I've only really seen them together, like twice since they started dating."

Willow was quick to try and help her best friend. "I'm sure nothing's going to happen."

"Yeah, he's probably just going to help her and make sure that she'll be fine," said Xander.

"But that's my job!" exclaimed Buffy. "It's my responsibility to protect her from the supernatural evil. Remember, Slayer here. Part of the oh so fabulous job description."

"Not anymore, Buffy," said Willow, gently. "I mean, yeah, it's your job to protect your mom, like you'd protect anyone else. But it's not your responsibility to take care of her when something does happen. That's Giles's job now. He's the guy she's going to go to when she's scared or upset. And, umm, that's how it's supposed to be."

"Yeah," Buffy said with a far away look in her eye.

Willow looked at her with concern. "Are you okay, Buffy?"

"Yeah. I just need to go to bed. I'm kind of tired. Where do I sleep?"

Willow pointed up the stairs. "You can sleep in my room. We'll share the bed. If you need a shower or pajamas-"

"I know where everything is." Buffy turned to the group and said, "I'll see you all in the morning." Slowly she turned and headed up the stairs.

Willow watched her go, her expression worried. She turned to Xander. "I think I'd better check on her. Can you get everyone situated?"

"Yeah, Will. No problem. I practically grew up in this house."

"Good. Me and Buffy in my room. Cordelia in the guest room. You an Oz on the couch. Towels are in the linen closet. Only use the guest bathroom."

"Whoa, Will. Looks like your train of thought lost it's brakes. Just make sure Buffy's coping. We'll be fine."

"Wait," interrupted Cordelia. "Are we going to be safe here? 'Cause our Slayer appears to be out of commission."

Willow waved her hand at Cordelia's question. "My dad is out of town and my Mom is passed out upstairs. We'll be fine."

"Probably safer here than anywhere else in town," agreed Oz.

Xander looked up and said, "We could stay at Giles place. It's not like he's going to be there."

Cordelia looked at him with disbelief. "The five of us in his dinky little apartment. I don't think so. Willow's guest room will be fine." She turned to Xander. "Show me where it is."

"Yes, your Majesty," said Xander under his breath. The two of them headed up the stairs. 

Willow and Oz watched them go. Suddenly, Willow said, "Wait! Before everyone goes to bed, we have to get up early tomorrow."

Xander looked at her with feigned horror. "But it's Saturday!"

Willow winced at him. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. But you know all those books that MOO built the bon fires on." Xander and Cordelia nodded. Willow continued, "Well, they were everything that MOO confiscated, so..."

Cordelia was the first to get it. "Giles's books," she breathed.

"Yeah," said Willow with a pained expression

"Oh man," whispered Xander. "How's he taking it?"

"Not well. We need to go in early. Get there before the cleaning crew."

"Good idea," said Xander. He and Cordelia turned and started towards the guest room.

Willow, at last, turned to her boyfriend. She smiled shyly. "Goodnight," she said.

Oz smiled a little back. "'Night." Willow leaned over and kissed him softly. Then she turned and when up to her room. Oz watched her retreating form until she turned the corner at the top of the stairs. 

**********************

Giles pulled into the driveway of the Summers' house. He turned the key and the Citroen's engine shuttered and died. He looked over at the woman in the passenger seat. Joyce was staring down at her hands. She wore a ring on one of her fingers. She twirled it around and around. As she did so, Giles noticed how badly her hands were trembling. He reached over and took her left hand in his right. Joyce finally looked up at hi. He eyes were an angry bloodshot red. They were pink from where she had been crying. The tears left thick tracks down her cheeks. Giles was surprised to see them. He hadn't heard her cry. 

"Joyce," he said softly. "You're home now. Do you want to get out?" Joyce nodded shakily. "Good." Giles said. He unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car. He walked over to the passenger side. He opened Joyce's door and held her hand as she stepped out of the car. Giles supported her trembling frame as they walked to the front door. As they stepped up to the door Joyce started fumbling around in her pockets. When she didn't find what she was seeking, she began to claw desperately through her purse. After a few minutes, she looked up at Giles and started crying again. "My keys. I-I gave them to Buffy. I..."

Giles was quick to comfort her. "Shhh. It will be alright, luv." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "Look. I have mine." He flipped through the keys on the ring to find the right one. When he located it, he unlocked the front door. They went inside and Giles was careful to lock and deadbolt the door behind them. He led Joyce to the couch. She sat down while Giles remained standing. "Is there anything you need?" he asked. 

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess- could you get me a glass of coke?"

"Certainly," he said. 

Giles turned to go to the kitchen. "Rupert," Joyce called. "Could you put some rum in it?"

Giles smiled at her. "Be right back, luv." 

Giles returned from the kitchen with Joyce's rum and coke and a scotch neat for himself. He set Joyce's drink on the coffee table in front of her and sat next to her on the couch. He took a sip of the single malt and then set it down. Joyce picked up her drink and took a large swallow. The shaking of her hand caused the ice in her drink to make a musical tinkling sound as it struck the side of the glass. Giles reached over and took the glass from Joyce. He set it down gently on the table. Then he gathered Joyce up in his arms. She crawled into his lap like a frightened child. Giles just held her as she cried, rocking her and soothingly rubbing her back. 

*********************** 

Willow walked out of her parents bathroom still toweling her hair dry from her shower. She paused a moment to bend over and wrap the towel around her head. She straightened and tugged on the bottom of her night shirt. She walked past the guest bathroom on the way to her bedroom and heard Cordelia taking a shower. Willow paused in front of the bathroom door. Cordelia was singing- if it could be called singing- some light rock ballad. After listening for a moment, Willow shook her head and kept moving.

Willow got to her bedroom and knocked on the door. She opened it slowly and peeked her head inside. "Hey, Buff. You dressed?"

Buffy was lying in Willow's bed. She didn't looked up from the magazine she was flipping through. "Yeah." Willow stepped inside the room. Buffy looked up at her. "You took a shower?"

"Wanted to wash the smoke smell off. You know."

"Do you want me to-" Buffy said as she gestured towards the hall.

"Oh, no, it's okay." Willow grinned. "If you don't mind, I don't." Willow climbed into the bed next to her best friend. She saw the magazine in Buffy's hands and asked, "Whatcha reading?"

Buffy gave Willow a small smile. "_Scientific American. _Will, you have got to get some better reading materiel. You don't even have _People_."

Willow grinned mischievously. "You want some real entertainment? Remember that song Cordelia performed at the talent show sophomore year? Well, she's in the bathroom butchering it right now. We could stand outside the door and make fun of her.

"Hmm. Sounds like fun, but nah. I don't think we can afford anymore Cordelia bad will."

"Spoil my fun."

Buffy laughed. "We should probably get some sleep."

"Oh. Sleep. I forgot, we've got to get up at seven tomorrow."

"You want Xander to get up before noon on a Saturday?"

"No, well yeah. It's just, our parents, when they were going to-"

"Burn us at the stake?"

"Um, yeah, that. Anyway, the bon fires. They were books."

"Books...?" Buffy thought for a moment. Suddenly, hey eyes widened in shock and she let out a little gasp. She raised her hand to her mouth. "Not..." she said. "Not Giles's collection."

Willow nodded gravely. "Yeah. All the magick and demonology texts."

"Giles wasn't flipping out was he?"

"Not really. I mean he wasn't all Whoopee! Oh happy day, either. I don't think the concept's quite set in yet?"

"Man, Giles is going to be a wreck." At the thought of Giles, Buffy's expression dimmed. 

Willow noticed and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that. You're wearing Buffy-sad-face."

"Yeah, I was just think about Giles and Mom. They're at my house right now."

"I'm sure there's nothing-"

"It's not that."

"Then what?"

"I'm still kind of wigging about their coupledom. I mean what if Mom decides that she likes having Giles around and she asks him to move in or something?" 

"Wow. I never even thought about that. But your mom wouldn't do anything like that unless she knew that you were going to be comfortable with it."

"I know. I guess I know. It's just, it's been the two of us for so long. I mean, my dad moved out about a year before the divorce. And even before that, he wasn't home much. There were business trips and I- I think he cheated. I think that's why they split up."

"Buffy, Giles wouldn't-"

Buffy waved her hand. "No. I just- Mom and I have this thing. We take care of each other. We go shopping together. And she cooks dinner and I do the dishes. And every Sunday night, we watch an old moving starring people that aren't famous anymore." Buffy shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not explaining it right."

"No," said Willow. "I get it. You guys have this routine."

"Yeah. And if Giles moves in, what if he does the dishes?" At Willow's blank look Buffy quickly thought of another example. "Or what if Sunday night stopped being Movie Night and became Battle Strategy Night?"

"Buff-"

"What if he goes grocery shopping with mom and only buys that nasty British food that he eats? What then?"

"Okay. Buffy, this is probably not the time to talk about this."

"Why not?"

"'Cause you're hysterical. And when you're all panicky, then I get all screechy and jumpy and shouty."

"And we don't want you to get shouty."

"Right." Willow said with a firm nod. 

"Maybe we should get some sleep and worry about this in the morning."

"Good idea." Willow reached over and turned off her bedside lamp. "Goodnight, Buffy."

"Goodnight, Will."

************************

"Joyce, please talk to me." 

"Oh God. Rupert." Joyce dissolved into tears again. "How will Buffy ever trust me again?"

"Joyce it will be alright. I promise you."

"I don't know. I'm not going to be able to fix this. I tried to kill my own daughter."

"Shh." Giles continued to rock Joyce in his arms. "Look here. I don't hate you. Neither does Buffy. She knows what happened wasn't you fault. That you were being controlled by something else that wasn't you."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. You can hardly live in this town without being possessed at least once. Did I ever tell you about the time Xander was possessed by the spirit of a hyena from the zoo. It's a-" Giles broke off as he looked down at Joyce's tired face. "-story for another time, perhaps."

"Rupert, how can you stand looking at me?"

"Joyce, what in heavens name are you talking about?"

"I was so weak. I just gave in."

"Joyce, look at me." When she didn't look up, Giles raised her chin so her blue eyes looked into his green ones. "Joyce, I have done some truly horrific things in my life. Some of it so disdainful that you can't possibly imagine it. And yet here I am. What does that tell you?"

"Rupert, I saw you on the band candy and I was no picnic myself. You weren't-"

"No!" Giles said vehemently, cutting her off. "You saw nothing. Ripper at sixteen was a punk. He picked ladies pockets and smoked and drank, but he was basically harmless. But when I was twenty-five..." Giles shook his head at the memory. "Casual sex with anonymous partners. The drinking gave way to drugs. And when heroin and LSD weren't enough to dull the pain, I turned to magicks. Blacker than you can even conceive. Spells that required blood- human blood. I stole, I dealt, trafficked in the black market. Any kind of contraband I could get my hands on. Drugs, guns, illegal spells. I took what I wanted with no regard to anyone or anything else. It took killing a good friend of mine to make me realize what my life had become."

"Rupert. I had no idea."

"No one does. The kids have a general idea of what my life was like then, but, fortunately, few details." 

"I-"

"Joyce, when you love someone, you want to help them, as much as you can."

"You- you love me?"

"I do, Joyce. Very much so. You are the most caring woman I've ever met. You have all this love and compassion. And it seems to know no bounds. Plus, you are intelligent, and capable, and beautiful. I have to admit, after losing Jenny, I wasn't certain when I would be ready to love again. I mourned her, for months. But then you were there. And the pain in my heart lessened. Every day. Now, I can look back on my time with Jenny with fondness instead of sorrow. And I can look forward to my time with you."

"Rupert, I love you too. I just don't know- you always speak so beautifully."

"There's no need. I know you've been hurt before. I just want- I want you to know that I'll never hurt you. Not intentionally." Giles leaned over and brushed his lips softly over Joyce's. Joyce deepened the kiss, bringing her hands up to his chest. She slowly started loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. Softly, she broke this kiss as the need for air made itself known.

"Rupert," she said her voice husky from the crying. "I know we've never... Would you like to spend the night?"

Giles took both her hands in his. "Darling, there is nothing I would like more. But not like this. Not when you've been so upset all night. I want to make sure were both ready for what that would mean."

Joyce nodded. "I understand. I think I should go to bed."

"That would be a good idea. If you'd like-"

"Would you stay. Here, on the couch, I mean."

Giles smiled at her. "Of course." 

"I'll just be upstairs then. If you need anything."

"And I'll be down here."

"If I need anything."

"Right."

"Goodnight, Rupert."

"Sweet dreams, Joyce." Joyce turned and went up the stairs. Giles watched her for a moment. Then he sighed deeply and started reading himself for bed.

To be continued....

A/N: Next chapter: Gingerbread Part 3


	7. Gingerbread Part 3

Stepfather

Chapter 7: Gingerbread Part 3

"Buffy... Buffy. You have to wake up."

"Mmmrumphffhh."

"No. You can't go back to sleep. You have to help me wake up Cordelia and the guys."

Buffy Summers opened one very bloodshot eye and glared blearily at Willow. "What are you doing in my bedroom?"

Willow sighed deeply. She knew Buffy had never been a morning person, but this was extreme. "Buffy. You're in my bedroom. Remember last night. City hall. Bon fire. The angry mob screaming, 'kill the witches!'"

Suddenly, Buffy sat straight up in bed. "The anti-hell-sucking book!" she shouted.

Willow raised one eyebrow in curiosity. "Um, okay. I have no idea what you're talking about, but you're awake- sort of- and that's good. So, let's go."

"To City Hall?" Buffy glanced at the digital display on Willow's alarm clock. "At 6:30 in the morning?"

"No. I mean, yes, we need to get to city hall before the janitors get there and Giles loses what's left of his collection, but first we have wake up the guys and Cordy and have breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day."

Buffy paused and looked at Willow. "You're really strange in the morning." Willow shrugged. Buffy climbed out of the bed and started rummaging through Willow's closet. "Great plan Will, but first, I need a shower."

"Okay, but please make it a super quick one. We have to hurry." Willow, already dressed, headed out of her room and downstairs. 

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

When Buffy entered Willow's kitchen, she was still putting her wet hair up in a scrunchee. Buffy looked at the gang assembled around the Rosenberg's kitchen table. "Hey." she said softly. 

Xander was the first to look up. "Hey, Buff. Nice outfit."

"Yeah," said Buffy self-consciously. "It's Will's." She crossed her arms uncomfortably around her body.

"I recognize it," said Oz with a nod. Buffy was wearing a pair of yellow overalls with a yellow and orange striped shirt. Besides being unflattering, it was a size and a half too big. 

"You don't like it?" Willow said with a small pout. 

"No, Will. It's just... not really my color. I don't really wear a lot of yellow. Or, any of the colors you wear. It's fine though." Desperate to change the topic, Buffy asked, "What's for breakfast?"

"Lucky Charms... Donuts.... Pot Roast." replied Willow, Oz and Xander respectively, looking at their own plates. "What do you want?" asked Willow. 

Buffy looked warily at Xander's pot roast and said, "None of the above. Just some coffee." Willow pointed mutely at the coffeemaker perking on the kitchen counter next to the fridge. Buffy grabbed a mug from the cabinet above her head and filled it. the milk and sugar were already out, so she went to sit between Willow and Xander at the table. "So, where's Cordy?"

Willow shook her head and said, "Sleeping Beauty? I tried to wake her up, but she sleeps like the dead. Worse than you." 

"And she snores," offered Xander. 

"I do not," said a voice from the doorway. Everyone watched a very disheveled Cordelia enter the kitchen and head straight for the coffeemaker. After looking in a couple of the cabinets, Cordelia found the right one and grabbed a mug. As she filled it, she said to Willow, "My dietician put me on a specific food regimen. My breakfast has to be low-fat, low-glucose, and lactose-free."

"Great," said Buffy. She grabbed an apple out of a bowl in the middle of the table and tossed it at the beauty queen. "Here. Now, is everyone ready to go?"

"Go? I'm not going anywhere like this."

Buffy sighed tiredly. "Cordelia, we have to go and get Giles's books."

"I know, Buffy." said Cordelia. "But there's now way I'm going to be seen in public in the same outfit two days in a row." 

"Oh, you could wear something of mine," offered Willow.

Cordelia threw a look at Buffy's outfit and let out a bark of laughter. "And look like that fashion disaster? I don't think so." 

"Hey!" replied Willow and Buffy simultaneously.

"Cordelia!" snapped Buffy, "You're not helping. Now, are you going with us or not?"

"Not. But I'll meet you later at Giles's apartment."

"Fine. Everyone else ready?" At the Scoobies' confirming nods, Buffy said, "Good. Let's go."

One by one, everyone left the house. As they were walking out the front door, Willow grabbed Buffy's arm and pulled her aside. "Buffy, Giles was really shook up last night. Go easy on him today- please."

"We were all shook up last night, Will. Honestly, I'm more worried about my mom than Giles right now.

"Yeah, I know. But Giles is better at hiding it than the rest of us. And this affected him. Big time." Willow lowered her voice to a whisper. "He even hugged me."

Buffy looked momentarily confused. It was as though someone told her the sky was green instead of blue. "Giles hugged you? Mr. Reserve-Guy?"

"Yeah. I was kinda wigged."

"I get it. I too would have been wigged."

"So, anyway, he's probably going to be all stiff-upper-lippy, but whatever he's going through- he's gonna need to talk it out. And you're the only one he'll do that with.

Buffy knew her best friend had a point. If Giles was going to talk to anyone, it was going to be her. "Okay, Will. I'll see what I can do."

~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~

The gang split into pairs for the drive across town. Buffy and Xander went in Joyce's jeep and Willow and Oz took Oz's van. When they arrived at City Hall Giles was already there, waiting on the front steps- with Joyce. Saying that Buffy was surprised to see her mother would have been an understatement. "Um, Mom. What are you doing here? Are you... are you okay?"

Joyce's smile was tight lipped. "I'm fine, Buffy. I just came for the car."

Buffy gestured towards the jeep and said, "Oh. I could have brought it home. You didn't have to come all this way for-"

"Buffy," Joyce said, her voice strained. "You don't have a license, and you're not on the insurance. I don't feel comfortable with you driving. Just- please give me the keys." 

Buffy walked silently to her mother and deposited the keys into Joyce's outstretched right hand. Joyce turned to Giles and whispered something in his ear. Buffy strained to hear, but even with her enhanced senses, Joyce words were inaudible. Giles nodded at whatever Joyce had told him and kissed her gently on the cheek. Joyce softly raised her hand to where Giles had kissed her. She stood still for a moment, then she walked slowly to her car. She got in, started the engine and drove away. Giles watched her go with no small amount of concern on his features. 

The gang stood silently for a moment, unsure of what to say. Xander, of course, was the first one to break the silence. "Okay," he said. "What was that?"

The young man's voice seemed to shake Giles out of his thoughts. He looked around to appraise the situation and then began to give directions. "We're going to go in there and collect everything. Don't waste time sorting through any of those books. Just get everything you can find into Oz's van. When we get to my flat- we'll unload, then begin to sift through." Giles paused and looked around, taking a quick head count. "Where's Cordelia?" 

"Fashion emergency," supplied Xander. "She'll be by later."

"Um, very good. Oz, I need you to wait by the van. As for the rest of you- let's get started."

Willow raised her hand. "Uh, Giles. How are we going to get in there? I mean, it's locked up, right?"

Giles reached into his pocket and pulled two small items. Buffy saw that they were one of her mother's hair pins, and a tiny screwdriver used for fixing eyeglasses. Giles looked at Willow and replied, "The same way I got in last night."

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

Several hours later the Scoobies were all sitting around Giles apartment sweating. The combination of dust and smoke from the books and the body heat of six very tired people had combined to make it quite hot. Giles had all his windows and his front door wide open, but it wasn't making a difference. _At least we managed some progress, _thought Giles.

Cordelia had arrived about two o'clock. At first, there were some grumbles about her not coming earlier, but she was instantly forgiven when she revealed that she had brought lunch from the deli downtown. After a sandwich break, everyone had gotten back to work. Their effort were not for nothing. They had managed to completely separate Giles's books from the others. Now, they were organizing, Giles's books into two categories- those that were salvageable, and those that were not. Fortunately, it looked like most of the books were going to fall into the former group.

Giles sighed and looked at his watch. It was already six-thirty. He rubbed the back of his neck to try and relieve the strain of sitting hunched over too long. Giles looked around at his helpers. He could tell that their attention was flagging. Willow and Oz had spent the last hour doing more cuddling than sorting. Cordelia was currently filing the nail she broke earlier, and Xander was shooting glares in her direction. Buffy was still working, albeit at a much slower pace. Giles cleared his throat and said, "Thank you all for the help. I couldn't have done it without you. But I can see that you're tired. So, if you'd like to go, feel free. I can do the rest myself. "

"Really!" Xander yelled, his voice filled with relief and joy. "We can go? Thank you, G-man. Bye. See you Monday." Xander quickly jumped up and headed out the front door and towards freedom. 

"You're welcome," Giles called after him. "And don't call me that."

Cordelia stood from where she was surrounded by piles of tomes and said, "Not to take a page from the book of Xander, but I do have somewhere much more important to be. So, bye." She grabbed her bag and headed to her car.

Willow and Oz were the next to depart. Before they left, Willow asked Giles if he was sure he didn't need their help any longer. He assured her that he had everything under control and wished her a good evening. Finally, it was just him and Buffy in the apartment. "I guess I should get going too. See if Mom's okay," she said.

Giles regarded her for a minute. "Grab your purse," he said. "I'll drive you home."

Buffy and Giles rode the distance to Buffy's house in silence. When they arrived in the Summers' driveway, Giles stopped the car and turned off the engine. Neither of them moved. After a while, Buffy said, "I guess I should go inside." 

"I guess you should."

"Giles-"

"Buffy, listen to me. Regardless of her demeanor this morning, your mother isn't mad at you. She's mad at herself."

"But it wasn't her fault!"

"And on some level she knows that. But the guilt will still be there. I know you don't blame her, but she blames herself, which is much worse. It will take time."

"I know." Buffy slumped back into her seat. She looked over at Giles and said, "Thank you." 

He looked at her, puzzled. "For what?"

"For being there- taking care of her. She... she needs you. I see that now." 

"Buffy, is there something you would like to discuss. About your mother and I-" 

"No. Not right now. Just... not right now."

"Alright," Giles said quietly. Buffy reached for the door handle and was about to get out, when Giles put his hand on her shoulder. "Wait," he said as if his voice pained him. He took a deep breath to steady his thoughts. "I want- no, I need you to know something. Tonight. I- I don't know if I'll be able to tell you later." Buffy, sensing that Giles was struggling with what he was about to say, kept quiet as she waited for him to speak. 

"I- I know it was hard for you to see Joyce- your mother- like she was last night." Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but Giles held up a hand to silence her. "Please let me finish. I know it was hard, because of the things she said. About wanting a normal daughter. I know she had difficulties accepting that you were the Slayer. She and I had many conversations while you were away. But to hear what Joyce felt... that way. To hear the person you love..." Giles's voice cracked on love and he had to take a second to compose himself. "To hear the person you love speak with so much hatred and anger, and to know that, under normal circumstances, they would never say such things. To know that they were being controlled by something dark that wasn't them. I... I think I finally know how you felt last year. With Angel."

"Giles..." began Buffy.

"No. I need to say this. I'm still not happy that you hid Angel from me. I'm not happy that you lied. Our ability to work as a team depends on honesty and trust. But I understand how you could take him back. How you could still love him. He and I will probably never be friends, but-"

"You'll stop giving him the eyeball-of-death every time he shows up."

Giles chuckled at Buffy's description. "Something like that. You best get inside." Buffy leaned over into Giles seat and gave him and awkward, car-hug, and then she got out of the car. 

Just as she was about to shut the door, she asked, "Do you want to come inside?"

"Not this time, thank you."

Buffy grinned at him. She turned and headed up the walk to her front door. Giles watched her go with no small amount of pride. She was going to be okay. Both of them were. Giles put the car in reverse and back out of the driveway. Then he headed home." 

To be continued....

*Author's note: Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I wrote it and really liked it, but then I realized it was a chapter about the Scoobies eating breakfast and sorting through books, which didn't _sound _particularly fascinating. Plus, I'm working without a beta, which is the writing equivalent of working without a net. No one to bounce ideas off of, except myself. And then they don't bounce well at all. They kinda just sit there. 

Plus, tomorrow's my birthday (Leanne8582- 8/5/82- get it). And do you know what I want most of all... Reviews! Anyway, hope your still enjoying the story.

Next chapter: "Helpless". Oh boy.* 


	8. Helpless Part 1

Author's note: First of all, everyone say hi to Amanda, my new beta for this story. She's really neat. And she's going to make this story so much better. She's totally creative. She came up with this fic where, to escape prison, Faith gets a vamp to turn her. Very Count of Monte Cristo. Anyway, if you'd like to read her stuff, it's here. She writes under the name Spoiler Babe 

Oh, and thanks for the reviews, Nat and Opapea. They mean a lot. I hope you like this chapter.

******************************************

Stepfather

Chapter 8: Helpless Part 1 

A crash caused Buffy and Joyce to look up from their respective places in the room: standing and tied to a chair. Almost so fast that Joyce wasn't sure what had happened, Giles came bursting through a door, struggling with a vampire. The two flew across the room and crashed into the bookcase that was resting against the opposite wall. Joyce never saw the stake, but there must have been one, because, without warning, the vampire exploded into a thick cloud of dust. 

Joyce could barely make out Giles's form through the obscuring ash, but as the remains of the vampire drifted to the ground and settled, she saw him look up- straight at her daughter. Buffy and Giles continued to stare at each other for what felt like forever. Joyce wanted to tell them to finish untying her so that they could leave this awful place, but something about Buffy's and Giles solemnity caused her to remain silent. Finally, Buffy seemed to remember where they were. She turned her head to look at her mother, then back at Giles. "Would you..." she began. "Can you help me with these?" She gestured at Joyce's ropes. "I, I can't untie them." Buffy lowered her head, as if in shame or embarrassment of having to ask Giles for help. 

"Oh. Yes, of course." Giles hurried over and knelt beside Buffy at Joyce's side. Giles pulled a knife from somewhere on his person. He made quick work of sawing through the ropes that bound Joyce. He stood and stepped around the chair, loosening the ropes as he went. When Joyce was free, Giles reached out a hand to help her up. She stood up and stepped out of the ropes. Then Joyce shivered, more from the ordeal than from the temperature of the room. But Giles saw it and quickly shrugged out of his tweed coat and offered it to the woman. Joyce smiled at him and took the coat. She wrapped it around her slender figure, feeling vaguely like she did in college when Hank offered her his letterman jacket to wear to football games. 

Giles offered his hand again, this time to Buffy. Joyce immediately headed for the stairs, but something held Giles and Buffy back. They continued their silence, neither of them looking at the other. "Would you..." he began, offering Buffy his arm for support. She looked at the appendage and swallowed hard. Giles looked at her cold expression and let the rest of the question die unsaid. Buffy took one more look at his peace offering and turned her back to him. She hurried up the stairs, passing Joyce on the way. Giles started to call out to the girl, but changed his mind almost instantly. He knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness. His right arm was still awkwardly outstretched, so he humbly pulled it back to his body. He turned to Joyce, still confused about her daughter's and boyfriend's reactions. Calmly Giles led her up the stair to where Buffy was waiting on the first floor. 

The trio exited the house from the front entrance. Once they were outside, they started for where Giles had parked his car. As they walked, Giles cleared his throat, as if preparing to give someone a bit of unpleasant news. "Joyce. Buffy and I will drive you home, but then we must return to the high school. We have some... unfinished business that needs attending." 

"Tonight?" asked Joyce with some surprise. She looked at Buffy's downcast face, then back at Giles. "But, Buffy's hurt. She should get some sleep. Can't it wait until tomorrow?" 

Giles looked grim as he responded. "No, we need to finish this tonight. The Council's Representative will want to be on his way, an-" 

"The Council?" asked Joyce. "What-" 

"I'll explain it later, Mom. Okay?" said Buffy very tiredly. Joyce nodded, worried about her daughter. Buffy looked more than physically worn down- and it took a lot to wear out a Slayer. Joyce got the impression that she was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Joyce wondered vaguely if Angel was again the culprit. He seemed to be the only one who had ever caused these emotions in Buffy. 

"Buffy, I know that this is a Slayer thing, and that you and I discussed that you can't always tell me everything that's going on, but I've been through a lot tonight. I think I deserve an explanation." 

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend?" 

"Buffy! I think after all this you would show Rupert more respect. I certainly didn't raise you to dis-" 

"No," Giles interrupted. "It's... I'll explain it to you tomorrow. Buffy is- she is in her right. I've... I.... I can't," Giles broke off. He looked close to passing out, his face was so drawn with so much pain. 

"Giles, please," said Buffy. "Can't we just get this over with. I want to go home." 

The three of them got into the Citroen and drove to Buffy's house. With a whisper and a quick kiss on Giles cheek, Joyce got out and went inside her house. She settles on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and her current book club book, The Red Tent. Joyce knew she only had four days to finish it before her group met again, but she was to distracted to read. She kept glancing out the front window for a beat up old car. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Giles often wondered why he returned to the Council. After Randall's untimely death, he could of gone on to become many things: a writer, a teacher, a shopkeeper. And all of these occupations, while not as thrilling and mysterious as battling supernatural evil every night, had one very distinct advantage. The all meant he wouldn't be listening to Quentin Travers prattling on right now. 

"Congratulations, you passed." Giles observed the scene in front of him. He'd taken lessons from the Watcher's Council on how to read people- it came in handy to know if a source was lying to you- but he'd always been a student of human nature. Giles liked to watch people, and right now, he was watching Quentin Travers. 

__

Playing the authority figure, aren't you? Giles thought. Quentin was standing at the head of the table at which Buffy was sitting. By forcing Buffy to look up to see him, Travers was applying a centuries old intimidation technique. _Nice try, but it won't work. Buffy's 5'4''. She's used to having to look up at others._ Giles thought about his own position in the room: standing in the doorway of his office, leaning against the door jam. Neither beside Quentin, lending his support to the Council, nor next to Buffy, defending his Slayer. _No, old man. You're neutral. Like Switzerland._ Giles also realized that by slouching, he was portraying a sense of calm indifference he didn't actually feel. _Why am I playing the body language game? Does it even matter at this point? _Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. _Or, perhaps I'm over thinking this. _

Giles tuned back into what was being said and realized that Travers was still speaking. "...and clear-headedness in battle. The Council is very pleased." 

"Do I get a gold star?" Giles grinned a little at Buffy's response. 

"I understand that you're upset..." 

"You understand nothing. You set that monster loose, and he came after my mother." 

"You think the test was unfair?" 

"I think you better leave town before I get my strength back." 

"We're not in the business of fair, Miss Summers, we're fighting a war." 

__

Oh, for heaven's sake! Arrogant little berk! "You're waging a war. She's fighting it. There is a difference." 

"Mr. Giles, if you don't mind..." 

"The test is done. We're finished." 

"Not quite. She passed. You didn't." As Travers turned to face Giles, his expression slipped for just a second and Giles saw a flash of pleasure on the man's face. Just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Once again masked by Travers's official Council concern. "The Slayer is not the only one who must perform in this situation. I've recommended to the Council, and they've agreed, that you be relieved of your duties as Watcher immediately. You're fired." 

"On what grounds?" asked Giles. 

"Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment." At this Buffy looked over at Giles. "You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause." Giles looked at the ground, taking in Travers's words. "Besides," continued Travers, "you were already under observation. We've discovered your affair with the girl's mother, despite your feeble attempts to hide it. You are aware that is a serious breech of protocol?" 

"Yes," came Giles reply. Buffy looked at him, almost to stunned to understand what she was hearing. 

"The Crucimentum was as much for you as for Buffy. We need to know where your loyalties lie." 

"I suppose you have your answer." 

"We do indeed. It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer." 

"I'm not going anywhere." 

"No, well, I didn't expect you would adhere to that. However, if you interfere with the new Watcher, or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?" 

"Oh, we're very clear." 

Quentin made a final bow to Buffy. "Congratulations, again." 

Buffy looked up at Quentin Travers with such hatred that if looks could kill, he would have been dead where he stood. "Bite me." 

Travers let out a nervous chuckle. "Yes, well, colorful girl." He turned and left the library. Giles replaced his glasses and watched him go. Buffy didn't even spare Travers a parting glance. She kept her gaze firmly rooted on the floor in front of her. 

With her hand trembling, Buffy reached out and grabbed the washcloth on the table before her. She dipped it into it's companion bowl of water, (both were laid out for her by Giles) and she gingerly brought it to the huge gash in her forehead. She winced at the touch and brought the rag down. Giles walked over and knelt down beside her. He calmly took the cloth from her hand, dipped it in the water again, and took care of cleaning Buffy's wounds. She looked up at him gratefully. Giles smiled down at her. 

He worked silently for about ten minutes, until all the dirt and dried blood was gone. Then he said softly, "I'll have to retrieve the First Aid kit to tend to these." He stood to head to his office when, suddenly, Buffy launched herself into his arms. The tiny, unexpected force nearly toppled Giles and he barely resisted losing his balance. The petite girl hugged him with all her strength, and for the first time, Giles was glad for her weakened state, as this hug would have normally resulted in a few broken ribs. 

Giles half led/carried Buffy back to her chair. He set her back in her chair and pulled up a matching one beside her. "I didn't know," she whispered. 

"You didn't know what?" 

"That you... caring about what happens to me, loving my mother, that you would lose your job." 

"I knew and that's what mattered." 

"Still..." 

"Buffy, it isn't important. None of it. My job, the bloody Watcher's Council. I don't care. If anything had happened to you during that test. If anything had happened to Joyce... Well, let's just say that, one way or another, I still wouldn't be working for the Council."

"Thank you." 

"For what?" 

"For being here. For not leaving me." Buffy quickly looked up at Giles and asked, "You're not going right?" 

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise." 

"Good." Buffy got a sly grin on her face and said, "Hey, it's not the worst mistake you'll ever make." 

Giles grinned at hearing his own words tossed back at him. "No, indeed it is not. But I fear that this may be the mistake that ends my relationship with your mother." 

"Afraid that she'll dump you?" 

"No, actually I'm quite expecting her to come after me with an axe," he said with a wry grin. 

Buffy shrugged and said, "Why don't you let me talk to her first, soften her up a little. Before she finds out about the Crucifixion." 

"Crucimen- no, yours is better." Giles paused as what Buffy had offered sunk into his consciousness. "Wait a moment. You'd... but why? I mean, I thought you didn't like your mother's and my... relationship." 

Buffy blushed a bit as she remembered her first reaction to finding out who her mother's new boyfriend was. "No, um yes, not exactly. It's kinda like when you first figure out that your parents have had sex. It's gross and you want to burn the image out of your mind, but it's not bad, you know? And, there's something I never told you." 

"What?" asked Giles. 

"I talked to Miss Calendar. The day she died. I told her that you cared about her. And that as much as I hated her right then, I didn't want you to be lonely." 

"I know." 

"You know what? That I don't want you to be lonely?" 

"I know you spoke with Jenny. She told me. And I appreciated it. I still do." 

"Yeah, well, the point I was going for was that Mom's been lonely. Since even before my dad moved out. And I know that Miss Calendar was the only other person you've dated since you moved here. I don't want you to be lonely, Giles." Buffy smiled, breaking the gravity of the situation. "Besides," she said. "you have no idea how happy I was when I found out you were human. No matter how lonely my mom is, she shouldn't date serial-killer robots." 

Giles chuckled. "Buffy you have no idea how much-" 

"Hey, Giles. No big, okay." 

"Okay. Of course, this entire conversation will be moot if Joyce decides unfavorably towards me." 

"I wouldn't worry about it. I think you're her only friend. At least you're the only other grown-up person I've seen her with since Pat became the zombie demon and I had to slay her. And, by the way, Moot? Unfavorably? Giles, who talks like that? You've lived here for three years and you still sound like you just stepped off the boat." 

"Plane." 

"Whatever. You definitely need to watch more TV. Do you even own a TV?" 

"Well, actually-" Giles looked down at his watch as if it had the answer, then gave a start. "Good heavens. I didn't realize it was so late. Joyce will be waiting up for you." 

"Us," Buffy corrected. 

"Yes, well. Best get you home soon. Let me finish tending those wounds, then we can be on our way. 

"Yeah." Buffy watched as Giles got up and disappeared into his office after the first aid kit. She and the Englishman got off to a rocky start, but they eventually became friends, no, family. And Buffy wasn't about to watch as her "family" tore itself apart, again. She would fix things between Giles and her mom if it was the last thing she ever did.

To be continued....

Next time on Stepfather: Helpless Part 2 


	9. Helpless Part 2

Author's note: Thanks Nat, flystardusterkm, and Whitewolf 3 for all the reviews last time. And a belated thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday, even though I totally fished for it. Also, I just got the third season on DVD. Theoretically, this will make the fic better. We'll see. ;)

This chapter is dedicated to Amanda, my beta, who did a fantastic job.

*Takes place almost immediately after the last chapter*

Stepfather 

Chapter 9: Helpless Part 2

Giles's rickety Citroen made a distinctive wheezing noise has it pulled up in front of the Summers house. Buffy looked warily at the dashboard, as if she expected the engine to literally fall out of the car and onto the pavement. Giles brought the car to a grateful halt and turned off the ignition. He turned to his slayer sitting in the passenger seat. The cut above her right eye had begun to bleed through the dressing he had applied to it. "You'll need to change that," he said.

"What? Oh," said Buffy as she realized as to what Giles was referring. "Yeah," she said as she gingerly touched her forehead. "New bandage, some ice to bring the swelling down. Should be right as rain."

"Yes, well...." Giles said, looking down. "Your strength and healing abilities should began to return in a few days. You'll be completely back to normal in about a week."

"Good. About the normalness, I mean. Not that damsel-in-distressing it wasn't tons of fun...." Buffy cut herself off when she saw Giles's hurt expression. "Giles, I... I don't blame you. I don't. I'll just feel a lot better when I'm not helpless anymore."

"Buffy, I think you've proved tonight that you'll never be helpless."

"That's the same thing Angel said."

Giles shrugged and said, "Occasionally, Angel has proven himself to be quite insightful."

The ghost of a smile appeared on Buffy's features. "I'm sure he'll appreciate that almost-compliment."

"Buffy-"

"Not a conversation I want to have tonight, Giles."

"Understandable. Don't you think you should head inside?"

"No."

"Um-"

"Giles, I need to tell you something." She paused to make sure he was really listening. At his nod, she continued. "I know I don't talk about Merrick much. My, my first Watcher. He was a good man."

"I know."

"You know?"

"I mean, that is to say, I knew him. Merrick."

"Oh. I didn't know that."

"There was no reason for you to have known. I didn't tell you. Besides, even if I had never met him, I had his diaries. A Watcher's diaries are intensely personal. I feel like I've known every Watcher whose diaries I've read. Even those who have been dead for centuries. But, please, go on." 

"Well, um, I only knew him a short time- a couple of weeks- before Lothos killed him. And I felt so many things during those few weeks. And it wasn't until afterward that I could sort it all out. I was just this girl. Buffy. Then, all of the sudden, I've got this sacred birthright that automatically comes with a short life span. And I didn't want it. I wanted to go shopping and hang out with my friends. But at the same time, it was a little cool. I was kind of a drama queen and the secret identity fit in with that. Problem was I couldn't tell anyone."

Buffy paused for a moment to organize her thoughts and continued. "So, time went on. It was like, everywhere I went there was a vamp. Out with my friends, with my parents. Turns out it was Lothos. Testing me. But my life had begun to fall apart. I got kicked off the cheerleading squad for missing too many practices. My grades had started to slip- more. My teacher and the school councilor all thought I was on drugs. Plus, I was having to kill vamps that used to be the people I'd hang with. I went to a dance with Tyler and three months later, I staked him with the handle of my hairbrush. And my parents, well, they always fought. I can barely remember when they got along. But all the sudden, their fights stopped being about how my mom spent money or Teresa, my dad's secretary. They were about me. How I was out of control and dangerous." 

"And then, one night, I just wanted it to be over. I went after Lothos on my own. I figured that if I killed him, the vamps would stop coming, and it'd be over. I think that somewhere, in the back of my mind, I also knew that if I failed, Lothos would kill me and it would still be over. But when I didn't show up for my patrol assignment, Merrick figured out where I had gone. He caught up with me and tried to stop me. Lothos killed him in front of me. Then he let me go. I still don't know why."

"Buffy, perhaps tonight isn't-"

"No. I want to finish. So, long story short, my parents split became official, I burnt down the gym and was expelled from Hemery, and then my parents had me committed. I went from Homecoming queen to cautionary tale. And somewhere in there I killed Lothos and most of his clan. When we moved to Sunnydale, it was supposed to be a new beginning. Where no one knew me, and I didn't have to be a superhero. But then I walked into the library, and there you were."

"Yes, I recall that you weren't to pleased to see me."

"Giles, at that moment, I've never hated anyone more in my entire life." Buffy caught the hurt expression on the librarian's face. "Oh. don't be like that. Anyway, here I was, new school, new friends, no criminal record, and you wanted to drag me back in. I just couldn't deal. It was like, I'd paid my debt. I gave up my home, and my friends, and my life for the cause. I was square. And here you were, asking me to do it again; I hated you for it."

"I imagine so."

"Yeah, well, I hated you in a way that I could never hate Merrick. Everything just happened so fast with him. I was the slayer, then it was training every night. And the constant vamp attacks. Then he was dead; he gave his life to save mine. I felt so guilty, I couldn't feel anything else. Then you showed up: my perfect target. But then that vamp grabbed Willow at the Bronze, and I _knew _I was the only one who could save her. You weren't trying to ruin my life, you were just trying to protect everyone else."

"Buffy took a deep breath to steady her emotions, then said, "And when you were going to go after the Master in my place. It was just too much like Merrick trying to stop me from facing Lothos. I couldn't watch you be killed- have another man's blood on my hands. But I knew that second, that you cared about me. I wasn't just a job to you."

"Buffy, you'll never-"

Buffy held up a hand to interrupt him. "Let me finish. So, more stuff happened. And here we are."

"Indeed."

"The point of this extra fun sharefest: I know you Giles, so I'm going to tell you what's going to happen. You're forgiven. So I don't want you to spend six months feeling guilty and doing me favors and letting me slack on patrol. I need you to be Giles. Especially with this new idiot coming. Agreed?"

"Yes, Ma'am," said Giles with a grin.

"Okay. Giles, I know I've never told you, but I... I love you. You're like... I don't know."

"Buffy, I know you're angry with your father-"

"NO! This is not about him. He chose to spend my birthday with his damn quarterly projections instead of me. I could have died tonight, and he wouldn't have ever known why. You just lost your job because of me. You're more like my father than he's been in a long time."

Giles sighed and brushed a stray lock of hair out of Buffy's eyes. "Dear, sweet girl. I would be honored to have a daughter such as you." Giles drew Buffy into his arms and they hugged as best the could, with both of them still being belted in. Buffy started to cry. "Shhh," Giles whispered in her ear. It'll be alright."

Buffy broke the embrace and unbuckled her belt. She chuckled a little and said, "We need to really stop having these emotional moments in your car. The upholstery sucks. And it's really hard to hug someone around a stick shift."

Giles grinned. "I promise next time we'll find a more suitable location."

"Good. I should go in," she said, gesturing at the lit house in front of them. "Why don't you come over tomorrow for breakfast. I can probably get mom to make waffles."

"I'm not certain I'll be welcome."

"Just come over. You and Mom need to have the big talk anyway. Might as well do it over food."

"Alright. Eight o'clock?"

"Mmm. Make it ten. Bye, Giles." Buffy jumped out of the car and ran into the house. Giles watched her go. He waited for a minute, to make sure she safely got inside, then he pulled away from the curb and started home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy entered the house as quietly as she could. Though she soon found out her fears of waking her mother were groundless. Joyce was waiting for Buffy to arrive. She was perched on the end of the couch with a mug of coffee and an untouched book in front of her. 

When Joyce saw her daughter enter the room, she jumped up from her seat. "Buffy! Where's Rupert? Why are you still bleeding? What's going on?"

Buffy took a deep breath and dropped her weapons bag at the foot of the stairs. "I'll explain everything. I just need to change this bandage first," she said pointing at her forehead. 

Buffy headed upstairs to the bathroom. She flicked on the light and blinked at the sudden brightness. She bent over, reached into the cabinet under the sink and pulled out _her _first aid kit. It was a large gray and red tackle box that she bought a couple years ago at a sporting good store. Buffy liked it, because it was large enough to hold everything she would ever need and the handle on top made it easy to carry. 

Buffy redressed her wound and went back to join her mother in the living room. Joyce was sitting in the exact same spot on the couch, as she was when Buffy first came in. Buffy wouldn't have even known Joyce had moved, except for the fresh steaming mug of hot chocolate that sat next to Joyce's coffee. As Buffy sat on the couch next to her mother, Joyce motioned at the mug wordlessly. Buffy picked it up and took a small sip. She smiled gratefully at Joyce. 

Buffy took a deep breath. "Okay. Giles went home, but I invited him back for breakfast tomorrow at ten o'clock- if it's okay with you?" Joyce nodded in confirmation. 

Buffy steeled herself. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. "Mom, I'm going to tell you what's been happening to me for the past week. I want you to promise that you won't freak out or interrupt until I finish. Promise?"

"Buffy...?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good." Buffy preceded to tell Joyce the whole story, starting from when she first started to feel weak, and ended with Quentin Travers's decision to terminate Giles. She left out no details; she even included the gang's abortive attempts at researching and Angel's confession that he'd seen Buffy called.

When Buffy finished her story, she said, "I know you're probably really angry at Giles, but I know he loves you. And I think you should give him a second chance." When Joyce didn't respond Buffy said, "Mom? What... what are you thinking?"

Joyce tiredly put her hand to her temple. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I just can't... it's a lot of information to absorb all at once. I need to sleep on it."

"Um, okay. I'll just go get some sleep then."

"Okay," answered Joyce distractedly, not moving from her curled up position on the couch.

"Well, goodnight."

Buffy started up the stairs, but Joyce called out to her, "You said Rupert is coming over tomorrow at ten?"

"Yeah," Buffy replied. Joyce didn't say anything else, so Buffy went to her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The next morning, the door bell of the Summers' house rang at exactly ten o'clock. "I'll get it," Buffy yelled to Joyce who was in the kitchen.

Buffy ran into the living room and flung the front door open. "Hi, Giles," she said brightly.

"Ah, hello, Buffy. You're....." he broke off as he observed Buffy's attire. She had her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail and was wearing a pair of dark blue pajamas adorned with little black and white Scottie dogs. "Um," he continued, "Am I early? Sh- should I come back."

Buffy looked confused. "Why?"

"Oh. No reason." Giles stepped over the threshold and Buffy closed the door behind him. "You're looking better," he added. And she was. The cut on her forehead was still prominent, but the swelling had gone down, and it looked as though some of the smaller bruises were starting to fade. 

"Yeah," she said, slightly self-conscious. "It barely even hurts anymore. Mom's in the kitchen," Buffy continued as she began to lead Giles through the house. "We're having Belgian waffles- my favorite. We even have fresh strawberries, and whipped cream, and real butter, and syrup- three kinds. And- Giles, what are you wearing?" Buffy came to a sudden halt as she interrupted herself.

Giles was thrown by the sharp turn in the conversation and it took him a minute to catch up. "What? This? it's....it's what I usually wear," he said looking down at his suit and tie combination. 

"I know," said Buffy. "It's a suit."

"Yes...?"

"Giles, it's Saturday!" When he continued to look at her blankly, she added, "Morning!"

Giles still stood there uncomprehendingly, so Buffy just sighed and led him to the kitchen. Giles was quite relieved when, upon entering the kitchen, he found Joyce to be dressed. She was wearing a simple outfit of khaki slacks and a white tennis blouse. 

Joyce was just finishing up. She had a huge serving platter of waffles, along with all the accoutrements, laid out on the center island. She looked up as Giles and Buffy entered the room. Joyce smiled politely at him, pointed to the island, and said, "Help yourself."

Buffy immediately leapt at the food. Giles and Joyce just watched in amazement as she fixed herself a plate with three waffles smothered with butter, boysenberry syrup and whipped cream. She set the plate on the table and went to the fridge to pour herself a glass of milk. The she grabbed the glass, the plate a fork, and precariously started out of the room. 

"Buffy? Where are you going?" asked Joyce.

"Upstairs. My room." Buffy motioned with the hand holding the full glass of milk. "I've got homework to do."

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather eat in here with us?"

"Yup," said Buffy. The she turned and quickly left the room.

Giles and Joyce watched her go. After a moment, they seemed to realize that they were alone in the room together. Joyce fiddles with her coffee mug awkwardly. She looked up at Giles and asked, "Would you like anything to drink? I remembered to make tea. It's Darjeeling. I know it's not what you usually prefer, but-"

"Tea would be lovely. Thank you."

"Cream and one sugar, correct?"

Giles smiled. "Yes."

Joyce busied herself at the counter, fixing Giles's tea. When she was finished she brought the mug over to Giles. He took it appreciatively. "Do you want some waffles?" she asked.

"Actually, not feeling up to eating just yet?"

Joyce motioned towards the dinning room. "Maybe we should sit down." They went into the dinning room and chose chairs across the table from one another. Giles took a quick sip of his tea and looked up at Joyce. "I need to tell you about last night. And about why Buffy isn't healing."

"I know," said Joyce softly.

"Oh?"

"Buffy filled me in last night," she said by way of explanation.

"I see." Giles paused for a moment, then said, "So is this where you show me to the door and wish me a happy life?"

"Before we get to that, I have a couple of questions."

"Please."

"You told me, when I asked you why you became a Watcher, that you didn't have a choice?"

"Yes. My father told me when I was ten years old that it was my destiny to be a Watcher, like he and my grandmother before me. I rebelled a bit, but I eventually acquiesced. I realized all the good I could do. All the people I could help."

Joyce nodded, remembering what he had told her before. "And Buffy told me that the Council fired you, because of me, and because you tried to stop the... the..." Joyce faltered on the unfamiliar word.

"Crucimentum," Giles offered. "The test."

"Yes, Buffy's test. You tried to stop it before Buffy went to the house."

"Yes." 

"Then I know all I need to know." 

Giles was suddenly overcome with sadness. He stood, uncomfortably, not wanting to let Joyce see the his eyes water. "I... I need.... I'll..."

Joyce quickly stood and grasped Giles's hands in her own. "Rupert, stop. Please sit back down." Giles returned to his seat, still unwilling to look at Joyce. She released his hands, then said, "It's hard, being a single mother. In some ways, it's like going back to before you ever got married. Back to one paycheck. Back to work. Back to dating. And, at the same time, it's completely different. Everything you do, affects this child that you're raising. I couldn't just pick up and move anywhere I want. I couldn't make these unilateral decision. Every option in my life had to be weighed against the question: how will this affect Buffy?" 

"I can't imagine what a strain that must be."

"It's tough. Especially dating. I mean, when you're middle aged, with a kid, handsome, successful men aren't exactly beating down the door. And, even if I get asked on a date, I have to consider how Buffy will react to him and he to her. Will they get along? Because I just couldn't be with someone, no matter how much I cared for them, if they didn't like Buffy. And in my case, I have an even more complex situation. Even if everything is great, I still have to worry about how they'll react when they find out that vampires and zombies and demons are just stuff out of fairy tales. And that my little girl, who is strong enough to bench press three grown men, is a professional killer of things that go bump in the night. I mean, Buffy and I still haven't even told Hank about all this. He wouldn't be able to adapt to it and he's her father."

Joyce ran her fingers through her hair, anxiously. "I love you, Rupert." At this, Giles looked up at Joyce, his face was filled with hope. "I do. You are the kindest, most thoughtful, smartest man I've ever know. And in a world filled with monsters you make me feel safe. When something good happens to me, you're the first person I want to share it with. And when something bad happens, you're the shoulder I want to cry on. And when there's a new piece at the gallery, the first thing I think is, 'I wonder if Rupert would like this?' And when I look into the future, I see you there."

At this point, Joyce was nearly in tears, but she continued. "And I see how you are with Buffy, and I realize how lucky I am. She respects you. You may not know it, but you're Buffy's favorite person in the world. And now this. Do you realize what you've done? You've given up your livelihood, your profession, and three generations of your family's tradition for us. Most women would give their right arm to have a boyfriend who was fired for loving their children too much." Joyce paused as that sentence worked it's way around in her brain. "Uh, that didn't come out right." 

Giles grinned. "I understood what you meant."

"We've all made mistakes. I, myself, have done some unforgivable things. But I know that this one mistake is not worth throwing our relationship away over."

"Joyce, I love you. With all my heart. And when I look into my future, I see you." Giles stood and quickly picked Joyce up off the ground in a bone-crushing hug. Joyce's hands roamed over his features, then she tangled them in his hair. Giles kissed her. He poured all the passion, and worry and frustration he had been feeling for the last couple of days into that kiss. Joyce kissed back with an equal fervency. The only broke apart when they heard a soft coughing from behind them. Dazed, Giles turned around and saw a very amused Buffy standing in the door way.

Buffy grinned like the cat that had caught every canary. "So, I came down for more waffles. Do you want any? Giles?"

Joyce looked at Giles and said, "Yes, are you hungry?"

Giles looked at them both and replied, "Absolutely famished."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles was quite pleased to discover that Buffy had gotten dressed while she had been upstairs. The three of them sat down and polished off the entire stack of waffles. Then Buffy and Giles did the dishes. Just as Giles was washing the last of the plates, the doorbell rang again. Buffy left up from her place at the sink and ran to the door. Soon she reentered to kitchen with Willow, Xander, and Oz in tow.

Xander did a double take when he saw how was at the sink. "Hey, look. It's Giles. And he's all domestic."

"Nice to see you as well, Xander," said Giles dryly.

"Giles, what are you doing here?" asked Willow.

"He's checking up on me and spending time with Mom," Buffy answered.

"Oh. That's why were here," said Willow.

"Yeah," added Oz. "except for the part about spending time with your Mom."

"Well, no, not that," said Willow. "But we wanted to come by, see how you were feeling today."

"And have lunch," added Xander.

"Ooh. Lunch," said Buffy.

Giles couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Buffy, you just finished breakfast!" 

Buffy looked at Giles like he had just proved her point for her. "Ergo, time for lunch."

The teenaged Scoobies simultaneously discussed what to have for lunch and listened to Buffy tell them of the events of the previous night. Joyce came back into the room just when Buffy was telling the part of the story where she came home to find that Kralik had taken her mother (and the fourth suggestion of pizza toppings was vetoed by Willow). She and Giles finished up the last couple of dishes and listened to Buffy tell the Scoobies the rest of the previous night's events.

Though she told no outright lies, Buffy did gloss over Giles's involvement in drugging her. If Giles or Joyce noticed, neither of them said anything. By the time that Buffy was recounting her fight with Kralik, sandwiches had been decided upon. Joyce and Giles quickly got busy rounding up all the fixings for peanut butter and jelly. 

Buffy and Xander grabbed bread and started to put the sandwiches together. Buffy quickly wrapped up her story. Though all the kids were surprised that Giles had been fired, Willow seemed to take it the hardest. 

"I can't believe Giles was fired," she said as she grabbed a jug of lemonade out of the refrigerator. She turned to Giles. "How could you get fired?" 

"So, how did you manage to kill Kralik?" asked Oz. 

"Oh, she was very clever," answered Joyce. Buffy raised her eyebrows at her mother. "Uh, you go ahead and tell it, dear. You tell it better."

"Now, now when you say 'fired', do you mean 'fired'?" Willow said. 

"You're not cruising past that concept any time soon, are you?" asked Xander.

"Well, it's just... I mean, he's been fired! He's, he's unemployed! He's... between jobs."

"You needn't worry," said Giles. 

Buffy nodded in agreement and said, "Giles isn't going anywhere, Will. He's still librarian."

Willow seemed slightly appeased by this news and said, "Okay, but I'm writing an angry letter."

"What I'm totally wigging about," said Xander, "is that the Watchers Council has been , um, watching you. So how long have you been on double secret probation?"

"I have no idea what that is, but I think their operatives has probably been following me for at least a month." At everyone's shocked expression, Giles continued, "You don't have to worry. I'm fired now, so the Council's hidden spies will go home and the more obvious one will arrive."

At everyone's confused look, Buffy clarified. "The new Watcher. The one replacing Giles." She shrugged and said, "You know, even with this new guy, nothing's really gonna change. The important thing is that I kept up my special birthday tradition of gut-wrenching misery and horror."

"Bright side to everything," Oz said stoically. 

Buffy grabbed a new jar of peanut butter. She struggled with it for a few minutes, before giving up. She sighed and said grumpily, "Just feel better when I get my strength back." 

Xander grinned and held out his hand for the jar. "Give you a hand with that, little lady?" he offered.

Buffy smirked and handed him the stubborn container. "You're loving this far too much." 

"Admit it," he said as he struggled with the jar. "Sometimes you just need a big strong man." Xander wrestled with the peanut butter some more, until finally, "Uh, Giles, gimme a hand with that."

To be continued....

*A/N* Yes, I know I played it fast and loose with the pre-show canon. And you all know how picky I am about things like sticking with the canon. But I figure if Joss can't decide about what happened before Buffy came to Sunnydale, then it's open to interpretation.

Please review and let me know what you thought. 

Next chapter: "The Zeppo." See you there boys and girls.


	10. The Zeppo

*Longest Author's note ever* Thank you, Amanda for the great beta job. And I'm sorry that you're sick, Hon. And thank yous to Capra124, gidgetgirl, Nat, CF, and Melanie Dawn for the reviews.

And now to respond to some comments: **Capra124**- I can't believe _my story_ is the first Buffy fanfic you've ever read. I hope I did all the wonderful authors out there justice. If you want some recommendations for fics to read, drop me a line and I would be happy to provide. Oh! And August 5th! *Leanne does the dance of same birthday joy*; **Melanie Dawn- **No, this story will not become G/B. I don't have anything against the ship and have in fact read several B/G fics that I liked. But to have Giles with Joyce and in the same fic to have him with Buffy is just too icky for words.; **gidgetgirl- **Thank you so much for reading this whole thing and reviewing every chapter. You have no idea how happy that made me. And your reviews themselves were wonderful. Praise (which is always nice) but detailed and constructive where they pointed out what I needed to fix. I love that! Oh, and I know I had some small grammer/puctuation issues in the earlier chapters (which I intend to clean up later). The problem was that I was working without a beta self-editing isn't very effective. But now I have the wonderful Amanda so those issues should be a thing of the past.

I look forward to hearing what you all think of this chapter *hint Review *hint* Now, on with the show....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Stepfather

Chapter 10: The Zeppo

*takes place a couple of days after the episode "The Zeppo."*

"Jeez. What is it?" asked Buffy.

Willow leaned over and looked where her best friend was pointing. "Uuugh. I don't know. Meatloaf."

Buffy shook her head. "No. It's too juicy for meatloaf."

"Stew." said Oz

"I don't think stew is supposed to be gray," said Xander.

The four friends were sitting around a table at the Sunnydale High School Cafeteria. For the most part, they were healed from their encounter with the Sisterhood of Jhe. Buffy's sling and limp were gone. Willow, though, still had some painful looking cuts and bruises. 

"This is why I pack my own lunch," said Willow removing her tuna sandwich, apple, and cupcake from the brown paper bag in front of her.

"Awe, Wills. But then you miss all the fun of trying to identify what's in your food," said Xander. He looked over at the contents of Willow's lunch and said, "Say, trade ya for that cupcake."

"Whatda got?" said Willow with a crafty glint in her eye.

"Um, cafeteria french fries. Simultaneously burnt to a crisp and oily."

"I'll pass."

Buffy gave her lunch one last experimental poke then put her fork down with a disgusted sigh. "I'm not eating this. I don't think I should ingest something unless I can classify it as animal, vegetable, or mineral."

"Speaking of vegetables," said Oz, "did you hear that August Anderson is staging a protest next week to force the school to offer more vegetarian alternatives."

"August..." said Buffy. "Isn't she the girl who wears Birkenstocks and makes all her clothes out of hemp."

Willow nodded. "Yeah. Remember we had bio with her last semester and she refused to dissect the fetal pig."

"We're playing at her protest," said Oz. "Devon volunteered the Dingoes because he thinks Autumn is hot."

Buffy laughed a little and said, "Wait till he find out that she doesn't shave her legs."

"Oooh," said Willow. "I heard a joke." She waited for everyone's approval to go ahead, then she said, "Well, um, these three vampires walking into this bar. I guess, it would be Willy's bar. Or possibly another, similar-"

"Willow," said Xander gently.

"Yeah, anyway," continued Willow. "They walk into this bar. And they go up to the counter and sit down. And the bartender says, 'What'll you have?'" For the part of the bartender, Willow affected a gruff speaking voice. "And the first vampire said, 'I'll have a glass of blood.' And so, the bartender turns to the second vampire and asks him what he wants. And the second vampire says, 'I'll have a glass of blood, too.' And so, the bartender turns to the third vampire and asks the same question. And this vampire says, 'I'll have a glass of plasma.' And then, the bartender says-" Willow started to giggle a little bit and had to pause to compose herself for the inevitable punch line. "He says, 'So that's two bloods and a blood lite!'"

Xander and Buffy smiles a little for their friend's benefit. Oz wrapped an arm around Willow's shoulder and said, "That was a good one, Will."

Buffy smiled at Willow, then suddenly got a frown on her face. "But vampires don't drink plasma." She shook her head and said, "Just don't tell Giles that one. Or you'll have to sit through his lecture on vampire physiology."

To avoid looking at his lunch directly, Xander scanned the current populace of the cafeteria. His gaze settled on a very familiar form. After a couple of minutes, Buffy and Willow noticed that Xander had zoned out. Buffy followed his stare and saw the object of his attention. "So, Xan," she said casually. "Have to talked with Cordelia lately?"

"No. Apparently she's too good for me now. Just look at her over there. Flirting with those football players and fixing her hair and getting her lunch and... making her way over to us right now?"

And as impossible as it seemed, Xander was correct. Cordelia was coming over to their table with her customary lunch of a salad with low-fat dressing and a diet coke. She reached the table, and imperiously looked down her nose at her former boyfriend. "Move over," she commanded.

"Of course, your majesty," said Xander as he scooted his chair over to make room for the prom queen. Cordelia set her tray down and then grabbed a chair from a near by table. She pushed her chair up to the Scoobies table and settled herself between Xander and Buffy. 

All of the Scoobies were stunned by the sudden arrival of "Queen C." Buffy was the first to manage to find her voice. "Um, Cordelia. Not that we don't appreciate your company, but why are you sitting with us?"

Xander looked at Cordelia and added, "Yes. Please tell us what we did to deserve the honor of your presence so we can make sure to never do it again."

Cordelia smirked at him and said, "This has nothing to do with you Xander. Trust me, if I had a choice in the matter, I'd be giving you people a wide berth."

"Choice about what?" asked Willow.

"Who to sit with at lunch," answered Cordelia as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Huh?" asked Buffy.

"Harmony isn't here today and I can't sit with Aura and Nicole without Harmony as a buffer."

"Wow, Cordy. I mean I knew your friends were hard to tolerate, but-"

Cody cut Xander off with a glare. "A fashion buffer, moron. Aura is wearing coral and Nicole is wearing white and pink. As you can see, I'm wearing teal." At everyone's blank looks Cordelia sighed in exasperation and continued. "I'm trying to get Danny Thompson to ask me out and if he sees me sitting next to them, I'll look awful. Normally, Harmony wears lavender or green or yellow and she balances us out, but she isn't here today."

Buffy tried to reason out Cordelia's fashion logic, but gave up after a few seconds. Eager to change the subject she took a sip of her Aquafina and said, "So, my mom and Giles are going out on another date tonight. Actually, it was supposed to be last night, but was still feeling pretty wrecked from the fight. But he's better now. He can actually move without wincing- mostly."

"Wow, Buff," said Willow. "They're getting kinda serious. What do you think about it?"

Buffy shrugged and said, "I don't know. I'm fine with it. I mean, they seem like they really like each other."

Cordelia made a noise of disbelief that sounded suspiciously like a snort and said, "Are you kidding me? Giles is totally in love with her." At the gang's shocked looks she added, "Or haven't you noticed?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Buffy.

"Duh. He's totally been dressing better."

"Excuse me?" said Buffy.

Cordelia rolled her eyes as she elaborated. "When Giles started dating your Mom, he started paying more attention to his clothes. The quality of his current wardrobe clearly says 'love.'"

"I have noticed anything different," objected Xander.

"Of course you wouldn't notice," said Cordelia scathingly. "You look like an Easter egg."

Buffy thought about this and said, "Cordy, I spend the most time with Giles. I would have noticed if anything had changed. He still wears suits, like, everywhere. Well, okay, he has started to dress more casually outside of school but that's probably because he got fired and I teased him about it when he came over for breakfast this one-"

"Poor, deluded Buffy. You look but you do not see. It's not _what _Giles wears. It's what he's wearing. And how he's wearing it."

"And again I'm going to have to say huh?"

"Less cotton, more silk. Haven't any of you seen that almost all of the suits he's wore recently have been wool. And very well tailored."

Oz nodded and said, "Now that you mentioned it, there has been a decrease in tweed."

"Yeah. And his ties have been much less polka-dotty," said Willow in agreement.

"No doubt about it. Giles has been dressing up." Cordelia paused as she looked around at the Scoobies. "And speaking of appearances, what is up with you guys. For the past couple of days, you've all been looking thrashed. More thrashed than usual."

"Demons tried to open the hellmouth," said Buffy.

"Again! God, don't all those squiggly things have anything better to do?"

"Well, most of their caves don't get the Home Shopping Network. So there you go," patronized Xander.

"Well, Xander. I'd expect that you'd know all about that. Since your mobile home is filled with beautiful family heirlooms all costing $19.95 or less."

Already growing tired of the direction in which this conversation was heading, Buffy decided that she wasn't going to put up with it. "As much as I love listening to you two fight, I think I'm going to go. I have actual classes to study for." Buffy picked up her tray and bussed it. Then she left the cafeteria and headed for her home away from home, the library.

*******************

The chiming sound of the Summers' front door bell rang softly through the house. Joyce quickly checked her make-up, then hurried through the house. When she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of a smiling, but sore Rupert Giles. "Oh, Rupert. You're looking so much better today." She motioned him inside the house. 

Giles looked down at what he was wearing, then realized what Joyce was talking about. "Oh, um, yes. The bruises have faded quite a lot. And I was able to take the bandages off my hand today."

"Yes, well. I, um, I hope you don't mind, about moving our date here. I thought it would be easier on you than going out. Because you're still healing."

"No, I don't mind at all. I much prefer your cooking to a restaurant's any day. Speaking of, thank you so much for the casserole you brought over."

"Did you like it? I wasn't sure how much you could do. Buffy told me that your right hand was really hurt and I know it's not your dominate hand but I-" Joyce suddenly interrupted herself. She smiled ruefully and said, "Look at me. I'm rambling like a school girl."

Giles smiled. "I know the feeling."

"Anyway. I wanted to see if you were okay. And, I wanted to see you."

"I know that feeling as well." Giles leaned over and brushed Joyce's cheek with a kiss.

Joyce blushed at the gesture and led Giles to the dining room. "Well, everything's ready. Just have a seat and I'll bring everything out.

After a dinner of poached salmon, broiled potatoes and a spring salad, Joyce and Giles were sitting in the living room with a bottle of Merlot between them. The each had a glass. "What shall we drink to?" asked Giles. 

Joyce smiled and said, "I don't know. I just had a wonderful, romantic dinner with a man that I've completely fallen for, so maybe we should drink to love. Or happiness. Or contentment."

Giles grinned and said, "I have something a little better in mind." He gently took Joyce's glass from her hand and set it with his own on the coffee table. The he slid to the floor and knelt in front of Joyce. 

Joyce looked confused for a moment. "What's going on?" she asked.

Giles took a deep breath and said, "Joyce, I- I want to tell you something. I love you. A great deal. I know I don't say it that often, but I do. And this battle, the Sisterhood of Jhe. I don't want to worry you, but it was very bad. They w-were trying to open the Hellmouth. In effect, trying to end the world." Joyce let out a small gasp, but Giles presses on. "When I was lying in that hospital bed, I realized something. I realized that I had been through too many apocalypses. Seen too many 'ends of the world.' And I had always managed to scrape through, via skill or just dumb luck. But, someday the skill won't be there, or the luck a bit off. And I had a moment of perfect clarity. I knew that if I died, I would regret never asking you this question." Giles fished in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, square box covered in blue velvet. He opened the box to reveal an antique gold ring. It had a solitary diamond in the middle. "Joyce Summers, w-will you be my wife?"

Joyce sat there stunned for a couple seconds. Finally, she said, "I- It's so, um, sudden.... I..."

Giles quickly snapped the box shut as his face reddened. "I- I shouldn't have asked. It's too soon. I'm... I'll j-just go.

Giles started to stand, but Joyce reached out and held on to his arm. "Rupert, I- I didn't.... Yes. Yes, I'll marry you." 

"Really?" Giles face was a battlefield of emotions. Hope, joy, and disbelief all grappled for dominance. 

Joyce nodded. As she held out her hand to him, she started to tremble. Giles moved back onto the couch and took her in his arms. "I love.... I- I- oh just give me the ring." 

Giles chuckled and slipped the traditional looking band onto Joyce's ring finger. It only went up to her knuckle. "Oh, it doesn't fit!" she cried.

Giles shrugged bashfully. "Well, I expected that might be the case. I've made an appointment tomorrow afternoon to get it resized. I um, I didn't buy it. It was my mother's. When my parents passed on I inherited the whole set. Her engagement ring and both wedding bands. Of course, if you'd rather have a ring of your own, I'd understand completely."

"No. I'm thrilled to have your mother's ring. You're my family now, which means your family is mine."

"Well, you don't have to worry about being introduced to a huge clan of Giles'. Except for some cousins so distant that it hardly counts, I'm the last of the line."

Joyce looked sad at that information. "Oh, Rupert."

Giles smiled at her concern. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I'm looking forward to expanding the Giles family by one member." He leaned over a kissed Joyce. The kiss started out softly at first but quickly grew more passionate.

Joyce kissed him back and mumbled something. Giles broke this kiss and asked Joyce what she said. Joyce thought for a moment, and then said, "I just said two. Two people. Me and Buffy."

"Oh, I had nearly forgotten about Buffy. I mean, it's just like she's my daughter already. But I suppose she really will be now. My stepdaughter."

"Mmm hmm," agreed Joyce. She looked at her ring one more time. "And we really should call Buffy and tell her." Joyce smiled slowly and started kissing a trail down Giles's neck. "But not right now."

Giles moaned loudly at Joyce's ministrations. Joyce quickly remembered that he was still injured. She suddenly stopped what she was doing and looked at him with concern. "Did I hurt you? Are you alright?"

Giles raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. He leaned back on the couch and grabbed Joyce's wrists so that she was pulled on top of him. "I'm not in pain, if that's what you're asking. As for being alright, it's not the hood of a police car, but we'll improvise."

Joyce began kissing him quite earnestly until Giles interrupted her again. "Um, Joyce. Not that this isn't wonderful, but shouldn't Buffy be getting home soon? She went patrolling with Faith and it won't take long."

"She's spending the night at Willow's. Studying for French," Joyce whispered in Giles's ear.

Giles raised an eyebrow at this news. "Really? Mrs. Summers, were you planning to seduce me?"

Joyce laughed and said, "I wish I could take the credit, but it was Buffy's idea. Something about space and smoochies and avoiding the trauma."

"Well, she's a brilliant girl and I must remember to tell her."

"Tomorrow," said Joyce.

"Tomorrow," Giles agreed.

To be continued..... 

*Next Chapter: "Bad Girls." Oooh, fun!


End file.
